Characterization of repetitive sequences by epigenetic and epigenomic approaches

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22227001
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Genetics/Genome dynamics
• Research Institution: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: KAKUTANI Tetsuji 国立遺伝学研究所, 総合遺伝研究系, 教授 (20332174)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-05-31 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: トランスポゾン / DNAメチル化 / クロマチン / 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

By epigenomics approach using various mutants of Arabidopsis thaliana, we analyzed effects of mutation in the IBM1 gene, which encodes a protein removing H3K9 methylation, a mark of silent chromatin. The results showed that this enzyme removes H3K9 methylation from transcribed sequences, contributing to differentiation of active and inactive sequences. We also identified a transposon which targets to centromere, through analysis of a transposon of Arabidopsis lyrata, which shows sequence similarity to a mobile transposon of Arabidopsis thaliana. I addition, by characterizing another mobile transposon, we identified a novel anti-silencing factor encoded by the transposon.

Free Research Field

エピジェネティクス、植物遺伝学