Bacterial characteristics based on esp (expression in minor subpopulation) genes.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H02652
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 49050:Bacteriology-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Morikawa Kazuya 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 教授 (90361328)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 尾花 望 筑波大学, 医学医療系, 助教 (00722688)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 黄色ブドウ球菌 / MRSA / 薬剤耐性菌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We previously found genes expressed in a subpopulation of Staphylococcus aureus and named them esp (expression in minor subpopulation) genes. We aimed to determine what kind of genes are expressed in esp-expressing cells and to infer the function of each esp gene from this information. In this study, we have established an experimental system for this purpose. We also made significant progress on esp15 (com gene: related to DNA uptake), and have shown that the com genes are expressed in biofilms under the control of a complex signal transduction system, and that the bacteria efficiently take up the genes by natural transformation.

Free Research Field

細菌分子遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、常在菌、日和見感染菌、薬剤耐性菌として生き続け進化してきた黄色ブドウ球菌の新たな特性を細胞集団の不均一性の視点から理解しようとする基礎研究です。例えばメチシリン耐性株（MRSA)が我が国を含め世界中に蔓延していますが、この誕生のプロセスにも不均一性が深く関係することが明らかになりました。具体的には本菌はバイオフィルムという環境で「DNA取り込み装置」を一部の細胞で発現させてメチシリン耐性遺伝子を獲得できることがわかり、耐性菌の出現や拡散のプロセスの一部の理解に貢献しました。