Generation of synthetic Plasmodium parasites.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22527
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 49:Pathology, infection/immunology, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University (2020-2021); Tokyo Medical and Dental University (2019)
• Principal Investigator: IWANAGA SHIROH 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 教授 (20314510)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア原虫 / 人工細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plasmodium parasites have extremely simple transcriptional regulation mechanism. In addition, the artificial chromosome technology can be used in the parasites. These biological and technical features may be useful for synthesizing the parasite artificially. In this study, to examine this idea, we attempted to synthesize the rodent malaria parasite, P. berghei. We developed a chromosome cleavage method by the CRISPR / Cas9 method, and prepared a recipient parasite for chromosome transplantation. Next, we created a shuttle artificial chromosome between Plasmodium parasite and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and synthesized the small chromosome using it in S. cerevisiae. The synthesized small chromosome was successfully transplanted into the recipient parasites. These result suggested that the Plasmodium parasites is useful organism for synthesizing the eukaryotic cells.

Free Research Field

寄生虫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究ではネズミマラリア原虫を用い、染色体切断法、出芽酵母内でのゲノム合成法、さらに合成ゲノムの原虫への移植法の開発に成功した。これまで真核生物においては人工細胞合成研究ではゲノム合成および移植の困難さから研究は停滞していた。よって、本研究の成果は真核生物における人工細胞合成に新たな進展を与えるものであり、その推進に貢献すると期待される。また、人工細胞は細胞機能の理解に新たな手法を提示するものであることから、本研究の成果はマラリア原虫の細胞機能の理解に貢献すると期待される。