Molecular mechanism for evolution of metazoan multicellularity

• Project/Area Number: 26891021
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Prefectural University of Hiroshima
• Principal Investigator: Suga Hiroshi 県立広島大学, 生命環境学部, 准教授 (30734107)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-08-29 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥2,730,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥630,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000)
• Keywords: 多細胞性の進化 / 単細胞ホロゾア / 多細胞体制の進化 / 遺伝子導入 / カドヘリン / Notch / カプサスポラ / クレオリマックス / コラロキトリウム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

How did the multicellular system of animals evolve? Analysis of unicellular holozoans, the closest unicellular relatives of animals, is a key to solve this question. Surprisingly many “multicellularity genes”, which are in animals used for developing and maintaining multicellular bodies, have been found in the genomes of unicellular holozoans, suggesting that genes for cell adhesion, cell-cell communication, proliferation, extracellular matrix, and organ growth control were abundantly present already in premetazoans. In the project, we aimed to analyze these genes, taking advantage of the whole genome information of unicellular holozoans and the recently-developed method for transformation, in order to understand the molecular mechanisms for evolution of animal multicellularity.

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] CSIC（スペイン高等科学研究院）/Universitat Pompeu Fabra/進化生物学研究所（バルセロナ）(スペイン)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ニューヨーク州立大学ストーニーブルック校(米国)
• [Journal Article] Possibility of RhoGDIβ as a molecular target for biomedical applications (2016)
  • Author(s): Tatsuka, M., Fujiwara, M., Okamoto, M., Hori, M., Sugihara, Y., Jikihara, H., Nakaoji, K., Hamada, K., Suga, H., and Shimamoto, F.
  • Journal Title: J Life Environ Sci Volume: 8 Pages: 1-12
  • NAID: 40020804616
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Radiation-induced RhoGDIβ cleavage leads to perturbation of cell polarity: a possible link to cancer spreading (2016)
  • Author(s): Fujiwara, M., Okamoto, M., Hori, M., Suga, H., Jikihara, H., Sugihara, Y., Shimamoto, F., Mori, T., Nakaoji, K., Hamada, K., Ota, T., Wiedemuth, R., Temme, A., and Tatsuka, M.
  • Journal Title: J Cell Physiol Volume: 0 Issue: 11 Pages: 0-0
  • DOI: 10.1002/jcp.25362
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Function and evolutionary origin of unicellular camera-type eye structure. (2015)
  • Author(s): Hayakawa S, Takaku Y, Hwang JS, Horiguchi T, Suga H, Gehring W, Ikeo K, Gojobori T
  • Journal Title: PLoS One Volume: 10(3) Issue: 3 Pages: e0118415-e0118415
  • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118415
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] Functional genomics of Creolimax fragrantissima reveals complex transcriptional regulation and independent evolution of fungal traits in a close relative of animals (2015)
  • Author(s): De Mendoza, A., Suga, H., Permanyer, J., Irimia, M., Ruiz-Trillo, I.
  • Journal Title: eLife Volume: 4
  • DOI: 10.7554/elife.08904
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Journal Article] 動物多細胞システムのオリジンに迫る (2015)
  • Author(s): 菅裕、Inaki Ruiz-Trillo
  • Journal Title: 実験医学 Volume: ３３ Pages: 968-973
• [Journal Article] Filastereans and Ichthyosporeans: Models to Understand the Origin of Metazoan Multicellularity (2015)
  • Author(s): Suga, H and Ruiz-Trillo, I
  • Journal Title: Evolutionary Transitions to Multicellular Life Volume: 2 Pages: 117-128
  • DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-9642-2_6
  • ISBN: 9789401796415, 9789401796422
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The holozoan Capsaspora owczarzaki possesses a diverse complement of active transposable element families (2014)
  • Author(s): Carr, M and Suga, H.
  • Journal Title: Genome Biol Evol Volume: 6 Issue: 4 Pages: 949-963
  • DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evu068
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 動物多細胞性進化に迫る新しいモデル原生生物 （New model protists shed light on the origin of metazoan multicellularity） (2015)
  • Author(s): 菅裕
  • Organizer: 日本分子生物学会
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-01
• [Presentation] 動物多細胞体制の進化に 原生生物から迫る (Protists shed light on the evolution of animal multicellularity) (2015)
  • Author(s): 菅裕
  • Organizer: 日本進化学会
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Year and Date: 2015-08-21
• [Presentation] 動物の多細胞体制の進化 (2014)
  • Author(s): 菅裕
  • Organizer: 日本プランクトン学会若手の会
  • Place of Presentation: 広島大学
  • Year and Date: 2014-09-04
• [Book] 財団ニュース (2016)
  • Author(s): 菅裕
  • Publisher: 山田科学振興財団
• [Remarks] Suga lab home page
  • URL: http://www.pu-hiroshima.ac.jp/~hsuga/
• [Remarks] Multicell Genome Lab
  • URL: http://www.multicellgenomelab.org/
• [Remarks] Genomic EvoDevo Lab -How Multicellularity Evolved?
  • URL: http://www.pu-hiroshima.ac.jp/~hsuga/