| Project/Area Number |
16K21559
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Evolutionary biology
Developmental biology
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (2018)
Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (2016-2017) |
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Principal Investigator |
Yasuoka Yuuri 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命医科学研究センター, 研究員 (70724954)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
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| Project Status |
Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
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| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000)
Fiscal Year 2017: ¥2,470,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥570,000)
Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
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| Keywords | 発生 / 進化 / ゲノム / 遺伝子重複 / 転写因子 / 遺伝子発現制御 / 機能分化 / ゲノム進化 / 脊索 |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
To reveal a part of developmental mechanisms for the notochord, this study focused on gene repertories, expression patterns in early embryos, gene regulatory mechanisms, and molecular functions of the master regulatory gene for notochord development, Brachyury. Comparative genomics analyses between vertebrate lineages showed that, among three paralogs, Bra, Ntl, and Tbx19, derived from two rounds whole genome duplication in vertebrates, Ntl was repeatedly lost in various vertebrate genomes. Expression patterns in early embryos suggested that Ntl is dispensable for the notochord in tetrapods but not in teleosts. Enhancer analyses identified notochord enhancers responsible for the subfunctionalization of Brachyury paralogs and suggested that some Brachyury paralogs that is not expressed in the notochord maintains the competency for the notochord expression. This study highlights evolutionary principles of duplicated genes.
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| Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
特定の遺伝子の数が増加する遺伝子重複は、生命進化の大きな原動力の一つと考えられている。重複した遺伝子群は、祖先的な機能を維持しながら、新規機能の獲得や役割分担を経て、より複雑な仕組みを作り上げる。一方で、遺伝子重複は時に生命維持のバランスを崩すことにもつながり、疾患の原因となることもある。
本研究は脊索という我々脊椎動物の初期発生過程に不可欠な組織の形成を担うBrachyury遺伝子の重複遺伝子群の成り立ちや役割を、様々な動物間で比較することで、重複遺伝子の進化原理に迫った。Brachyury遺伝子の重複や変異が原因の一つとなるヒト悪性腫瘍（脊索腫）の理解にもつながる画期的な成果である。
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