Diversity and evolution of anaerobic/microaerophilic eukaryotic microorganisms

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05231
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMOTO Tetsuo 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (50208451)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 石田 健一郎 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (30282198) ; 稲垣 祐司 筑波大学, 計算科学研究センター, 教授 (50387958)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HANZAWA Naoto 山形大学, 理学部, 教授 (40292411)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 嫌気環境 / 真核微生物 / ミトコンドリア関連オルガネラ / 縮退進化 / 代謝多様性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Various eukaryotic organisms that lack canonical mitochondria with oxygen respiration but instead possess mitochondrion related organelles (MROs) are present in anaerobic/microaerophilic environments. MROs are considered to be reduced mitochondria resulted from an adaptation to such environments. However, very little is known about diversity and evolution of these organisms and their MROs. In this study in order to further understand the diversity of MRO-containing organisms, we isolate various novel eukaryotic microorganisms from anaerobic/microaerophilic environments in Palau, Malaysia, and Japan and characterized these organisms by morphological, molecular phylogenetic, and comparative transcriptome analyses.

Free Research Field

分子進化学