Analyses of chloroplast splicing reactions using our in vitro splicing system.

• Project/Area Number: 17K07441
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Sugiura Masahiro 名古屋大学, 遺伝子実験施設, 特別教授 (80027044)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2021)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,550,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,050,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: タバコ葉緑体 / イントロン / RNAスプライシング / ２次構造モデル / in vitro系 / RNA / スプライシング / in vitro 系 / 葉緑体 / 2次構造モデル

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The chloroplast genome in tobacco plants contains about 110 genes. Among them, 12 protein-coding genes possess introns. A secondary structure model of the intron in the atpF gene was constructed and its exon-binding sites (EBS1 and EBS2) were searched. Splicing activities of their mutated EBSs were measured using our in vitro system. Our result indicated that estimated EBSs were found to be correct and that EBS2 enhanced splicing activities.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

人や動物など地球上の全ての生物は、酸素を吸って炭酸ガスを吐き出す。一方、植物は太陽光エネルギーを使って、吐き出された炭酸ガスと水から、炭水化物を合成する。これは葉緑体の中で行われている「光合成」と言われる現象で、我々はこれによって食糧と綺麗な空気を得られ生きながらえている。我々は、この「光合成」と言う現象を正しく理解し、この地球上で光合成が正常に持続する様に、正しい知識を持って我々の置かれた環境を保全していく必要がある。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Development of an In Vitro Chloroplast Splicing System: Sequences Required for Correct pre-mRNA Splicing (2021)
  • Author(s): Keiko Inaba-Hasegawa, Ayumi Ohmura, Masayo Nomura, Masahiro Sugiura
  • Journal Title: Plant and Cell Physiology Volume: 62 Issue: 8 Pages: 1311-1320
  • DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcab095
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access