Identification and functional analysis of novel chromatin modifiers

• Project/Area Number: 26650037
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Functional biochemistry
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: TSUKADA YUICHI 九州大学, 稲盛フロンティア研究センター, 教授 (90444801)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 遺伝子の情報発現と複製

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The molecular mechanisms underlying epigenetic phenomena involve a range of chromatin modifications including covalent modification of chromatin and higher order chromatin reorganization. The covalent modifications of chromatin include DNA methylation and post-translational modifications of histones (acetylation, phosphorylation, ubiquitination, small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO)-ylation and methylation); all of these can influence overall chromatin structure. Among these covalent modifications of histones, crotonylation has been discovered recently. However, a responsible enzyme for this modification remains unknown. In this study, we partially purified histone crotonyltransferase activity and revealed that female germ cells are abundant in crotonylation of histones.

Research Products

• [Remarks] 九州大学束田研究室
  • URL: http://www.tsukada-lab.jp