Elucidation of the molecular basis of the circannual clock

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K20459
• Project/Area Number (Other): 19H05546 (2019)
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Pioneering)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund (2020); Single-year Grants (2019)
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIMURA Takashi 名古屋大学, 生命農学研究科(WPI), 教授 (40291413)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 概年時計 / メダカ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Circannual rhythms are approximately 1-year biological rhythms driven by the endogenous circannual clock and determines the timings of reproduction, hibernation and migration.
Although the molecular mechanisms of approximately 1-day circadian clocks are well understood, the mechanisms underlying long-term circannual clock is a challenging and unresolved mystery. In this study, we showed the existence of endogenous circannual rhythms in medaka, and we have also identified the transcriptional program underlying the circannual rhythm.

Free Research Field

動物分子生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地球規模の温暖化や気候変動により、植物の開花や動物の冬眠、渡り、繁殖などの時期にズレが生じており、全球レベルで種間の様々な相互作用に影響が生じている。既に生態系、生物多様性、ならびに農業に様々な影響が生じていることから、生物の環境適応機構の解明は世界的に緊急に取り組むべき重要課題と位置付けられている。1年という長い周期の生命現象の分子基盤の解明は極めて挑戦的なテーマであるため、ほとんど手付かずであったが、本研究ではこれに関与する転写プログラムを明らかにした。