2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Developing anti-viral strategies that target social aspects in viral way of life
Project/Area Number |
16H06185
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
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Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
Research Field |
Plant protection science
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Research Institution | Tohoku University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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Keywords | 植物病理学 / ウイルス / 抵抗性 / 進化 / 社会性 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We studied the social aspects in the life of plant viruses, and developed a novel method to protect crop plants from viruses. Specifically, we carried out molecular biology experiments and computer simulations to show that cell infection by around 5 genomes is a general phenomenon among plant vi1ruses, and this allows the viruses to exclude free-riders from their populations. We also developed a simulation model for replication of cucumber mosaic virus, which has a three-segmented genome, to explain how the ratio of each segment are balanced during replication and accumulation of segmented viruses. Furthermore, we showed that cucumber mosaic virus has a decision-making system that resembles a majority decision, and developed an artificially modified viral RNA variant that targets this decision making and inhibits the cell-to-cell movement of the virus.
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Free Research Field |
農学
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
ウイルスは非常に単純な生物であるが、同じ宿主細胞内のウイルスゲノム間で遺伝子産物の共有が生じることから、ウイルスゲノム間に様々な社会的関係性が生じる。本研究はこの点に着目して行った。研究の結果、遺伝子産物に対するフリーライダーを排除するための「社会ルール」を植物ウイルスが普遍的に有することや、遺伝子産物をめぐってウイルスが多数決型の意思決定を行うことが示された。この成果は独創性が高く、植物病理学・ウイルス学のみならず社会学的にも大きな意義がある。また植物ウイルスは一般に防除が非常に難しいが、本研究で得られた知見を活かして新発想の防除法開発につながる基盤技術を確立することができた。
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