Functional analysis of a novel photoreceptor protein in the molecular mechanisms of phototaxis in Chlamydomonas

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K18584
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Animal physiology/Animal behavior
• Research Institution: University of Yamanashi
• Principal Investigator: KUTOMI Osamu 山梨大学, 大学院総合研究部, 助教 (60773728)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 走光性 / クラミドモナス / 鞭毛 / ダイニン / 青色光受容

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this research project, we characterized a novel ciliary axonemal protein from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, MOT7, which is a homologue of a dynein photoreceptor protein, DYBLUP from sperm flagella in the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. We examined whether MOT7 plays a role in molecular mechanism(s) of phototaxis in Chlamydomonas and obtained two following results. (1) The immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that MOT7 associates with a specific axonemal protein, which binds directly to the motor domain of the inner-arm dynein f. (2) Wild-type cells were swimming towards the high-intensity blue-light source just after irradiation, and subsequently were gradually escaping from the light. In contrast, the MOT7-null mutant was gathering around the light, and were not moving away from it. These results suggest that the MOT7 molecule is required for adaptation for blue-light in the Chlamydomonas phototaxis behavior.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学