Elucidation of the mechanism of non-cell death caspase activation that determines the phenotype of each individual.

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H04774
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Miura Masayuki 東京大学, 大学院薬学系研究科(薬学部), 教授 (50202338)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-05 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: カスパーゼ / 非アポトーシス / 表現度 / 個体差 / ショウジョウバエ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Expressivity of phenotype is regulated by Basal Caspase Processing (BCP) which is mediated through non cell death inducing caspase activity. However, the regulation of BCP is still unknown and genome-wide analysis of BCP has not been conducted yet. We performed the analysis of caspase-proximal proteins in Drosophila brain and identified the cell adhesion molecule Fasciclin 3 (Fas3) as a molecule that promotes caspase activation upon its overexpression. We performed genome-wide screening of genes involved in the BCP-regulated expressivity of sensory bristle numbers using the GWAS method.

Free Research Field

発生遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

生理機能やストレス応答、薬剤への感受性、寿命といった表現型の程度は個体ごとに異なる。表現度は注目する表現型の個体間の強弱を示すが、BCPの制御機構の研究によって表現度制御の分子メカニズムの解明が進むと、疾患や老化といった個体差の大きな現象の理解を深めることが期待される。