2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Molecular mechanisms of cuticle hardening in insects
Project/Area Number |
18K05678
|
Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
|
Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Review Section |
Basic Section 39050:Insect science-related
|
Research Institution | Tokyo Metropolitan University |
Principal Investigator |
Asano Tsunaki 東京都立大学, 理学研究科, 助教 (40347266)
|
Project Period (FY) |
2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
|
Keywords | 外骨格 / 進化 / 硬化反応 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The insect cuticle is a non-cellular matrix composed of chitin fibers and chitin-binding cuticle proteins. It is postulated that cuticular components are cross-linked together through chemical reactions catalyzed by multicopper oxidase-2 (MCO2). This study focused on identification and function analyses of protein factors that are involved in cuticle hardening as substrates of this enzyme. From sequence information obtained from large insect species, a group of proteins with their own characteristic in their sequences were found. The proteins of this group had not been analyzed before, but information in database suggests that the protein group has very important roles in cuticle formation. In relation with these proteins, it was proposed that chemical reactions catalyzed by oxidases other than MCO2 might be involved in cuticle formation.
|
Free Research Field |
昆虫学
|
Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
本研究は、昆虫外骨格に存在する酸化酵素の基質となりうるタンパク性因子に着目し、新しい配列的特徴を持つ外骨格タンパク質を見いだした。これまで、MCO2と呼ばれる酵素のはたらきが大きく注目されていたが、それ以外の化学反応が存在する可能性を示唆する知見も得られた。これらは、昆虫外骨格が形成されるしくみの理解を進めるという点で評価できる。また、昆虫独自の外骨格硬化機構が昆虫の進化に与えた影響についてすでに仮説を立てているが、これを掘り下げることで今後、「昆虫の定義」について、これまで言及されることのなかった全く新しい仮説が生まれる可能性があることから、今後の研究の進展が大いに期待される。
|