Recognition of self and non-self in the genome by small RNAs and chromatin factors

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05583
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: System genome science
• Research Institution: Keio University
• Principal Investigator: Iwasaki Yuka 慶應義塾大学, 医学部(信濃町), 講師 (80612647)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 小分子RNA / piRNA / トランスポゾン / 転写制御 / エピゲノム制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are germline-specific small RNAs, which form the effector complexes with PIWI proteins to preserve the genome integrity by repressing transposable elements (TEs). Among PIWI-clade proteins in Drosophila, Piwi is known to transcriptionally silence their targets via heterochromatin formation. In this study, following points were analyzed in order to reveal the molecular mechanism of RNA silencing by Piwi-piRNAs: how piRNAs are assigned to three different types of PIWI proteins, how heterochromatin is induced by Piwi-piRNAs, and how Piwi-piRNA complex is guided to their target locus. The results obtained from these analyses revealed the mechanism how small RNAs and chromatin factors can recognize self and non-self in the genome.

Free Research Field

分子生物学、バイオインフォマティクス