Mechanism of spermatogenesis by two novel polypeptides translated from the same locus

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21397
• 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: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Matsumoto Akinobu 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 准教授 (60741519)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: Long non-coding RNA / ポリペプチド / 精子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We identified two novel polypeptides, Kastor and Polluks, which are translated from RNAs that were thought to be long non-coding RNAs. Both of them bind strongly to VDAC3, and mice lacking Kastor and Polluks show male infertility. We examined whether Kastor and Polluks affect the channel activity of VDAC3 using in vitro current trace assays and other methods, but found no effect on VDAC3 channel activity. These results suggest that Kastor/Polluks regulate functions other than channel activity of VDAC3.

Free Research Field

分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでlong non-coding RNAと思われていたRNAが、実はKastorとPolluksという2種類の新規ポリペプチドを産生し、それらが精子ミトコンドリアの形態制御を担っていることを明らかにした。KastorとPolluksは共にヒトを含む哺乳類に広く保存されており、これらの生物では、共通した機能を持つと考えられる。精巣特異的な遺伝子の機能解析は、男性不妊の原因解明だけでなく、これらを標的とした避妊薬の開発への展開が期待される。