Study on bypass of gene essentiality

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22383
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 43:Biology at molecular to cellular levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Goshima Gohta 名古屋大学, 理学研究科, 教授 (20447840)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 分裂酵母必須遺伝子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Although genes that control cell division are often conserved in a wide range of species, some species do not have a specific gene. In this case, it is assumed that the species has developed an alternative mechanism during the course of evolution. In this study, by means of experimental evolution, we showed such an example: a yeast strain that has lost a gene “essential” for cell division continued to proliferate by developing an alternative “masked” mechanism.

Free Research Field

細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

酵母を使った実験で、細胞分裂に必須と考えられていたタンパク質リン酸化酵素Poloをなくしても、別のタンパク質リン酸化酵素CK1を介した予想外の細胞分裂制御機構が働くことがわかった。両者の同様の関係性は、ヒトの癌患者由来の培養細胞においても確かめられた。Poloの阻害剤は抗癌剤として有力視されているが、癌細胞の分裂（増殖）を抑えるためには、別機構との二重阻害が必要かもしれないことも示唆された。