Development of visible detection system for epimutation

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K00561
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Risk sciences of radiation and chemicals
• Research Institution: National Institute of Health Sciences
• Principal Investigator: Sugiyama Kei-ichi 国立医薬品食品衛生研究所, 変異遺伝部, 室長 (80356237)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: エピジェネティック毒性 / 酵母 / 凝集 / FLO1

Outline of Final Research Achievements

With regard to epigenetic mutation that are considered to be involved in diseases such as carcinogenesis, there is no validated detection system for epigenetic mutation. In this study, we attempted to construct a bioassay system that can easily detect epigenetic mutation with a microorganism. Budding yeast is an eukaryotic single-celled microorganism. It has been found that the yeasts transformed with cDNAs of human DNA methyltransferase genes apparently show a flocculation phenotype. Therefore, we tried to construct an epigenetic mutation detection system based on a reporter assay using the FLO1 flocculation gene. In this study, our findings suggest that yeast flocculation is a useful marker for the detection of epigenetic mutation.

Free Research Field

毒性学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

発がんの予測に有効な遺伝毒性試験の結果をより精緻化できる潜在能力を有すると期待されるエピジェネティック毒性試験系について、そのプロトタイプを独自の着想に基づき構築しかつその有効性を認めた点は、今後の化学物質による発がん性評価を考える上で新たな視座を与える可能性がある。