Molecular analysis of enzymes for transfer RNA precusor splicing in parasitic protozoa

• Project/Area Number: 15K08442
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Yoh-ichi 東京大学, 大学院医学系研究科(医学部), 准教授 (90323568)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,940,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,140,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: RNAスプライシング / キネトプラスチダ原虫 / tRNA / スプライシング / tRNAスプライシング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

RNA splicing, which removes intron, interventing sequence in the gene, is essential to produce functional molecule from the genes. Some genes for transfer RNAs (tRNAs), which carry amino acid to ribosome, protein synthesis machinery, have intron(s). Eukaryotic tRNA splicing enzymes have been analyzed from a very few organisms, and the entire characterization is remained to be solved. I analyzed RNA splicing enzymes in parasitic kinetoplastid protozoa. As a results, I elucidated that an RNA ligase in kinetoplastid protozoa had been acquired from an bacterial lineage via lateral horizontal gene transfer.