Comprehensive analysis of small RNAs produced by the blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21314
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 39:Agricultural and environmental biology and related fields
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Nakayashiki Hitoshi 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (50252804)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: いもち病菌 / 小分子RNA / エピジェネティクス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, a novel class of small RNAs (sRNAs) was identified in the blast fungus, Pyricularia oryzae. The novel sRNAs were characterized by its smaller size (16-18nt), Dicer- and/or RdRP-independent biogenesis, and nonbinding to AGO protien. Northern blotting analysis revealed several sizes of precursors of the novel sRNA, indicating multiple steps of processing for its biogenesis. Consistently, RNA-seq analysis suggested that some of the precursors were generated via complex splicing. GFP reporter assay indicated that the novel sRNA was not functional in the gene silencing pathways, supporting the idea that these sRNAs possess so-far unknown biological roles.

Free Research Field

植物病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

小分子RNA(sRNA)は、siRNAやmiRNAなどの細胞内で遺伝子発現制御を行うだけでなく、近年宿主と病原菌のような生物種間における相互作用においても、重要な役割を果たすこと知られている。本研究では、我が国の重要植物病原菌であるいもち病菌におけるsRNAの網羅的な解析を行い、新奇sRNAを見出すとともに、それらの生合成過程や細胞内の機能などについての新規知見を得た。これらの成果は、基礎科学としての興味だけでなく、農業上も制御がもとめられているいもち病菌の低環境負荷型の新たな防除法の開発にもつながる可能性を持っている。