Unveiling the evolution of monoecious/dioecious species based on the analysis of OTOKOGI genes from non-model species of Volvox

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K14580
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nozaki Hisayoshi 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (40250104)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 雌雄同体 / 雌雄遺体 / ホモタリック / ヘテロタリック / OTOKOGI遺伝子 / 進化 / ボルボックス / 祖先状態再構成

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Since the homothallic species Volvox africanus and the heterothallic species V. reticuliferus are closely related to each other, biological comparison of these species seemed fruitful for resolving evolution of homothallism/heterothallism in Volvox. The present research demonstrated the presence of MID/OTOKOGI ortholog in the homothallic species of Volvox for the first time. In addition, our analysis based on ancestral state reconstruction in the whole volvocine algae suggested that homothallism might have evolved from heterothallism in the ancestor of these two species. In conclusion, we proposed a hypotheses that homothallic V. fricanus might have evolved from male of the ancestral heterothallic species (Yamamnoto et al. 2017, PLoS ONE).

Free Research Field

進化生物学