Evolutionary genomics of hot spring frogs, Buergeria japonica

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06365
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45020:Evolutionary biology-related
• Research Institution: Hiroshima University
• Principal Investigator: Igawa Takeshi 広島大学, 両生類研究センター, 助教 (00507197)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 荻野 肇 広島大学, 両生類研究センター, 教授 (10273856)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 適応進化 / ゲノム解読 / 極限環境 / 生物多様性 / 遺伝子発現調節 / 両生類 / 分布拡大 / ゲノム進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of study is to elucidate genes responsible for high temperature resistance of Ryukyu Kajika frog, Buergeria japonica that has acquired high temperature resistance enough to grow in hot springs, which will contribute to understand genetic basis of adaptive evolution. The result of gene expression analysis clarified that some important genes involved in gene expression regulation are highly expressed in the tadpoles grown continuously at high temperature. The result of comparative genomic analysis with the closely related species Kajika frog clarified that the sequences of temperature-sensitive receptors and heat shock response proteins were significantly different in nucleotide and amino acid sequences, and that was considered that the gene function under high temperature tolerance should be changed.

Free Research Field

進化遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

進化学において、適応進化はよく知られた現象であるが、そのプロセスや遺伝子機能に迫る研究はこれまであまり行われていなかった。本研究では極限環境に生息する生物の遺伝情報を網羅的に決定し、遺伝子機能の変化を明らかにした。本研究の成果は、生物多様性をもたらす適応進化のメカニズムの根本的理解につながると考えられる。