Elucidation of the meiotic regulatory network by CDK and TOR

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K14785
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 38030:Applied biochemistry-related
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Matsuda Shinya 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 特任助教 (40805488)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: CDK / cyclin / 分裂酵母 / TOR / オートファジー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Meiosis is a specialized cell division process that mediates genetic information transfer to the next generation. The most important feature of meiosis is the mixing of genes of different cell by homologous recombination, which allows the inheritance of diverse genetic characteristics to the next generation, enabling evolution and adapt to environmental changes. The Pef1-TORC1 pathway has been identified as a novel regulator for meiosis in fission yeast, but downstream signaling pathways of Pef1 remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify the substrate of Pef1 among the candidate substrates identified by phospho-proteomic analysis and to elucidate the meiotic regulatory mechanism by Pef1-TORC1 signaling.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、分裂酵母を用いて減数分裂の開始・進行の制御に関わる新たなシグナル伝達機構の解明を目指した挑戦的な研究である。他のどの生物種においても、減数分裂期にPef1オルソログ (CDK5)がTORC1の制御に関わることを明確に示した研究報告はない。そのため、Pef1-TORC1シグナル伝達機構を明らかにすることで、減数分裂の根幹的な制御機構の解明に迫ることができる。このように、本研究は減数分裂の分子機構を理解するうえでの基盤的な研究であり、本研究を皮切りに高等生物の減数分裂の仕組みについて研究が進めば、卵子の老化診断技術や、抗老化薬の開発が期待できる。