Epigenetic regulation of phenotypic switching in a unicellular eukaryote

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23767
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0703:Biology at organismal to population levels and anthropology, and related fields
• Research Institution: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Hirooka Shunsuke 国立遺伝学研究所, 遺伝形質研究系, 特任助教 (70843332)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: エピジェネティクス制御 / 単細胞真核生物

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Tri-methylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3) is a mark deposited by Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), which are highly conserved in both unicellular and multicellular organisms. In unicellular eukaryotes, it is considered that the role of H3K27me3 has been in defense responses against transposable elements and other genomic parasites.　In this study, we investigated genes marked by H3K27me3 modification in certain unicellular eukaryote, and found that H3K27me3 modification may be involved in the phenotypic switching.

Free Research Field

遺伝子発現

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

単細胞真核生物におけるH3K27me3修飾はトランスポゾン等の外来配列の不活化が主な役割だと考えられており、分化等の細胞形態の表現系切換えの制御は多細胞生物が独自に発展させた機能だと考えられていた。しかしながら、本研究では単細胞真核生物においてH3K27me3修飾が1倍体、2倍体の表現系切換えに関与している可能性を示唆する結果を得ており、単細胞から多細胞における真核生物一般におけるエピジェネティクス制御の理解につながることが期待される。