Study on spatial organization of chromosomes mediated by small RNA

• Project/Area Number: 26840009
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Molecular biology
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: KAWAKAMI Kei 大阪大学, 生命機能研究科, 特任研究員 (00722836)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,160,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥960,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,690,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,300,000、Indirect Cost: ¥390,000)
• Keywords: ヘテロクロマチン / 核内構造 / 低分子RNA / 分裂酵母 / RNAi / 核構造 / 染色体 / 小分子RNA / セントロメア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although It is known that heterochromatin (HC) structure that suppresses the gene expression is clustered at nuclear periphery or around the nucleolus, its mechanism and biological significance are not well understood. In this study, I aimed to clarify the mechanism of HC cluster formation using fission yeast as a model organism. A system capable of artificially inducing HC dependent on small RNAs was constructed in the arm of the chromosome. The behavior of this artificially induced HC in the nucleus was analyzed in detail by the 3C method (Chromosome Conformation Capture). As a result, we reveled this artificially induced HC region spatially interacts with the native HC region such as centromere and telomere at the chromatin level. This result clearly showed that the RNAi-dependent HC structure has the ability to form clusters in the nucleus.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Inner nuclear membrane protein Lem2 augments heterochromatin formation in response to nutritional conditions. (2016)
  • Author(s): Tange Y, Chikashige Y, Takahata S, Kawakami K, Higashi M, Mori C, Kojidani T, Hirano Y, Asakawa H, Murakami Y, Haraguchi T, Hiraoka Y.
  • Journal Title: Genes to Cells Volume: 21 Issue: 8 Pages: 812-832
  • DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12385
  • NAID: 120005906898
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Presentation] Histone methyltransferase complex CLRC ubiquitinates and degrades the putative histone demethylase Epe1 to facilitate heterochromatin assembly (2017)
  • Author(s): Kei Kawakami
  • Organizer: The 9th International Fission Yeast Meeting
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Histone methyltransferase complex CLRC regulates heterochromatin spreading (2015)
  • Author(s): Kei Kawakami and Kojiro Ishii
  • Organizer: 内藤カンファレンス
  • Place of Presentation: シャトレーゼガトーキングダム札幌(北海道札幌市)
  • Year and Date: 2015-09-15
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Histone methyltransferase complex CLRC regulates heterochromatin spreading independently of RNAi (2015)
  • Author(s): Kei Kawakami and Kojiro Ishii
  • Organizer: 8th international fission yeast meeting 2015
  • Place of Presentation: 生田神社会館(兵庫県神戸市)
  • Year and Date: 2015-06-21
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Book] ノンコーディングRNA RNA分子の全体像を俯瞰する (2016)
  • Author(s): 川上慶、道家康平、石井浩二郎
  • Total Pages: 372
  • Publisher: 化学同人