Functional analysis of the RNA-binding protein Mei2, which is a key player for meiosis in fission yeast

• Project/Area Number: 23570223
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cell biology
• Research Institution: Kazusa DNA Research Institute (2012-2013); The University of Tokyo (2011)
• Principal Investigator: YAMASHITA Akira 公益財団法人かずさＤＮＡ研究所, ヒトゲノム研究部, 室長 (30312276)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2013
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2013)
• Budget Amount: ¥5,330,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,230,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000); Fiscal Year 2011: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
• Keywords: 減数分裂 / RNA結合タンパク質 / 分裂酵母 / non-coding RNA

Research Abstract

The goal of this study is to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying meiosis, which is a special type of cell division for gametogenesis. Mei2 is an RNA-binding protein, which is a key player for both the induction and progression of meiosis in fission yeast. It has been shown by this study that activated Mei2 can enhance expression of a transcription factor Ste11 through a positive feedback loop involving the stress-responsive MAP kinase pathway. Furthermore, it has turned out that Mei2 is phosphorylated in mitotically growing cells depending on one of the two TOR kinase complexes in fission yeast, namely TORC1, and is degraded through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] The RNA-binding protein Spo5 promotes meiosis II by regulating cyclin Cdc13 in fission yeast (2014)
  • Author(s): Arata, M. Sato, M., Yamashita, A., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Genes to Cells Volume: 19 Pages: 225-238
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] A novel factor Iss10 regulates Mmi1-mediated selective elimination of meiotic transcripts (2013)
  • Author(s): Yamashita, A., Takayama, T., Iwata, R., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Nucleic Acids Research Volume: 41 Pages: 9680-9687
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Proper microtubule structure is vital for timely progression through meiosis in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): Yamashita, A., Fujita, Y., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Plos One Volume: 8
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Cuf2 boosts the transcription of APC/C activator Fzr1 to terminate the meiotic division cycle (2013)
  • Author(s): Aoi, Y., Arai, K., Miyamoto, M., Katsuta, Y., Yamashita, A., Sato, M., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: EMBO reports Volume: 14 Pages: 553-560
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Proper microtubule structure is vital for timely progression through meiosis in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): A. Yamashita, Y. Fujita and M. Yamamoto
  • Journal Title: PLoS One Volume: 8 Issue: 6 Pages: e65082-e65082
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065082
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] 減数分裂の進行を制御するnon-coding RNA (2013)
  • Author(s): 山下朗
  • Journal Title: 実験医学増刊 (生命分子を統合するRNA-その秘められた役割と制御機構) Volume: 31 Pages: 213-218
• [Journal Article] Meiotic pairing by non-coding RNA? (2012)
  • Author(s): Yamashita, A., Kariyazono, R., and Watanabe, Y.
  • Journal Title: EMBO reports Volume: 13 Pages: 766-766
• [Journal Article] Psk1, an AGC kinase family member in fission yeast, is directly phosphorylated and controlled by TORC1 as S6 kinase (2012)
  • Author(s): Nakashima, A., Otsubo, Y., Yamashita, A., Sato, T., Yamamoto, M., and Tamanoi, F.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Cell Science Volume: 2 Pages: 5840-5849
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Mmi1 RNA surveillance machinery directs RNAi complex RITS to specific meiotic genes in fission yeast (2012)
  • Author(s): Hiriart, E., Vavasseur, A., Touat-Todeschini L., Yamashita, A., Gilquin, B., Lambert, E., Perot, J., Shichino, Y., Nazaret, N., Boyault, C., Lachuer, J., Perazza, D., Yamamoto, M., and Verdel, A.
  • Journal Title: EMBO J. Volume: 31 Pages: 2296-2308
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Hexanucleotide motifs meidate recruitment of the RNA elimination machinery to silent meiotic genes (2012)
  • Author(s): Yamashita, A., Shichino, Y., Tanaka, H., Hiriart, E., Touat-Todeschini, L., Vavasseur, A., Ding, D-Q., Hiraoka, Y., Verdel, A., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Open Biology Volume: 2 Pages: 120014-120014
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Meiotic pairing by non-coding RNA? (2012)
  • Author(s): Yamashita A, Kariyazono, R and Watanabe, Y.
  • Journal Title: EMBO Rep. Volume: 13 Issue: 9 Pages: 766-766
  • DOI: 10.1038/embor.2012.124
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Hexanucleotide motifs mediate recruitment of the RNA elimination machinery to silent meiotic genes (2012)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Yuichi Shichino, Hirotsugu Tanaka, Edwige Hiriart, Leila Touat-Todeschini, Aurelia Vavasseur, Da-Qiao Ding, Yasushi Hiraoka, Andre Verdel, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Journal Title: Open Biology Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Pages: 120014-120014
  • DOI: 10.1098/rsob.120014
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The fission yeast stress-responsive MAPK pathway promotes meiosis via the phosphorylation of Pol II CTD in response to environmental and feedback cues (2011)
  • Author(s): Y. Sukegawa, A. Yamashita and M. Yamamoto
  • Journal Title: PLoS Genet Volume: 7 Issue: 12 Pages: e1002387-e1002387
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002387
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Pob1 ensures cylindrical cell shape by coupling two distinct Rho signaling events during secretory vesicle targeting (2011)
  • Author(s): Nakano, K., Toya, M., Yoneda, A., Asami, Y., Yamashita, A., Kamasawa, N., Osumi, M., and Yamamoto, M.
  • Journal Title: Traffic Volume: 12 Pages: 726-739
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Analysis of the molecular mechanisms regulating the onset of sexual differentiation in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): Yoko Otsubo, Akiko Nishimura, Tomohiko Matsuo, Akira Yamashita, and Masayuki Yamamoto.
  • Organizer: 第36回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際会議場(兵庫)
  • Year and Date: 2013-12-05
• [Presentation] Molecular mechanism for the selective removal of meiotic transcripts in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Tomomi Takayama, Yuichi Shichino, Ryo Iwata, and Masayuki Yamamoto.
  • Organizer: 7^<th> International Fission Yeast Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: University College London (United Kingdom)
  • Year and Date: 2013-06-25
• [Presentation] Molecular mechanism for the selective removal of meiotic transcripts in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Tomomi Takayama, Yuichi Shichino, Ryo Iwata, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Organizer: 7th International Fission Yeast Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: university college london, London, United Kingdom
• [Presentation] Analysis of the molecular mechanisms regulating the onset of sexual differentiation in fission yeast (2013)
  • Author(s): Yoko Otsubo, Akiko Nishimura, Tomohiko Matsuo, Akira Yamashita and Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Organizer: 第36回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際会議場
  • Invited
• [Presentation] 減数分裂特異的転写産物の選択的除去機構 (2012)
  • Author(s): 山下朗、高山知美、七野悠一、岩田遼、山本正幸
  • Organizer: 第35回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: マリンメッセ福岡(福岡)
  • Year and Date: 2012-12-11
• [Presentation] 減数分裂特異的転写産物の選択的除去機構 (2012)
  • Author(s): 山下朗、高山知美、七野悠一、岩田遼、山本正幸
  • Organizer: 第14回日本RNA学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 東北大学(宮城)
  • Year and Date: 2012-07-18
• [Presentation] 減数分裂特異的転写産物の選択的除去機構 (2012)
  • Author(s): 山下朗、高山知美、七野悠一、岩田遼、山本正幸
  • Organizer: 第14回日本RNA学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 東北大学
• [Presentation] 減数分裂特異的転写産物の選択的除去機構 (2012)
  • Author(s): 山下朗、高山知美、七野悠一、岩田遼、山本正幸
  • Organizer: 第35回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: 福岡国際会議場・マリンメッセ福岡
• [Presentation] Novel regulatory network for the expression of Mei2, the master regulator of meiosis in fission yeast (2011)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Yuko Sukegawa, Yoko Otsubo, and Masayuki Yamamoto.
  • Organizer: 第34回日本分子生物学会年会
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜(神奈川)
  • Year and Date: 2011-12-16
• [Presentation] Novel regulatory network for the expression of Mei2, the master regulator of meiosis in fission yeast (2011)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Yuko Sukegawa, Yoko Otsubo, and Masayuki Yamamoto.
  • Organizer: 6^<th> International Fission Yeast Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Harvard Medical School (USA)
  • Year and Date: 2011-06-29
• [Presentation] Novel regulatory network for the expression of Mei2, the master regulator of meiosis (2011)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Yuko Sukegawa, Yoko Otsubo, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Organizer: The sixth international fission yeast meeting(招待講演)
  • Place of Presentation: Boston, Massachusetts, USA
• [Presentation] Novel regulatory network for the expression of Mei2, the master regulator of meiosis in fission yeast (2011)
  • Author(s): Akira Yamashita, Yuko Sukegawa, Yoko Otsubo, Masayuki Yamamoto
  • Organizer: 第34回日本分子生物学会年会(招待講演)
  • Place of Presentation: パシフィコ横浜
• [Book] 「減数分裂の進行を制御するnon-coding RNA」(2013) 実験医学増刊"生命分子を統合するRNA–その秘められた役割と制御機構" (2013)
  • Author(s): 山下朗
  • Publisher: 羊土社