2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Relationship between environmental response mechanisms and symbiotic ability in coral symbiont algae
Project/Area Number |
19K06786
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Section | 一般 |
Review Section |
Basic Section 45020:Evolutionary biology-related
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Research Institution | Tohoku University |
Principal Investigator |
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Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
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Keywords | 細胞内共生 / 刺胞動物 / 褐虫藻 |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Dinoflagellate algae in the family Symbiodiniaceae, also known as coral-symbiotic algae, establish endosymbiotic relationships with host cnidarian animals such as reef-building corals and play an ecologically important role as primary producers in oligotrophic tropical and subtropical oceans. This study clarified environmental stress responses in the symbiotic algae at the gene expression level and, by focusing on these groups of genes, showed the presence of a novel pathway of the sugar secretion which is different from the one reported in previous studies. In addition, effects of the algal functions on the host physiology were examined via a multifaceted analysis, and ecological factors involved in the symbiosis initiation, formation, and maintenance through the life cycle of the host were characterized.
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Free Research Field |
細胞内共生
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
褐虫藻と宿主刺胞動物との間での代謝産物を介した相互作用の重要性は古くから認識されてきたが、分子・細胞レベルでの知見は未だ十分ではない。本研究では、褐虫藻による宿主に対する応答を、広義での環境応答の一つと捉え直すことで、藻類の持っている環境ストレス応答機構が共生という状況でどのように利活用されるのかを分子レベルで説明することを可能にした。これにより、共生に関わる分子機構の進化生態学的な理解が進んだだけでなく、サンゴの白化に見られるような生態系レベルでの環境問題に対しても、藻類による環境応答の頑健性という新たな視点からの対策が可能となった。
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