DNA reorganization mechanisms in non-coding genome

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Functions of non-coding DNA region for genome integrity
• Project/Area Number: 23114003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: OHTA Kunihiro 東京大学, 総合文化研究科, 教授 (90211789)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KATOU Yuki 東京大学, 分子細胞生物学研究所, 助教 (50391917)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): YAMADA Takatomi 中央大学, 理工学部生命科学科, 助教 (30451850)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: DNA / ゲノム / 非コード領域 / 組換え / 転写 / クロマチン / エピゲノム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Noncoding genome plays critical roles in genome evolution. We investigated how DNA recombination in noncoding genome is integratedly regulated by repetitive sequences, recombination hotspots, chromatin structure, epigenetics, and noncoding RNA transcription. In this study, we revealed specific histone marks govern the position of fission yeast meiotic recombination hotspots. In addition, we discovered a new factor called "liaisonin", which is involved in the construction of 3D chromosome architectures required for the meiotic recombination initiation. Moreover, we found that the noncoding transcription of 5' upstream segments of some stress genes provides an integrated positive feedback control system for gene activation and silencing. We also provide new high-throughput DNA sequencer-based methodology for the study of noncoding DNA.

Free Research Field

分子生物学