Evolution of female-male genders based on comparative analyses of sex-chromosomal regions

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24247042
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nozaki Hisayoshi 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (40250104)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 宮城島 進也 国立遺伝学研究所, 新分野創造センター, 特任准教授 (00443036) ; 関本 弘之 日本女子大学, 理学部, 教授 (20281652)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 群体性ボルボックス目 / 雌雄性の進化 / 多細胞化 / 性染色体領域 / 性特異的遺伝子 / 同型配偶 / 異型配偶 / 卵生殖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on the whole genome data of the isogamous colonial volvocalean species Gonium pectorale, genetic and genome bases of evolution of mating type locus and initial transition to multicellularity have been revealed. G. pectorale mating type locus and other genome regions lacked homologs of new gender-specific genes of Volvox carteri, suggesting that these genes might have not been acquired by the isogamous ancestors of the colonial Volvocales (Hamaji et al. 2016, G3). The comparative whole genome analyses of undifferentialted multicellular G. pectorale, differentiated multicellular Volvox carteri and unicellular Chlamydomonas reinhardtii demonstrated that cell cycle related genes are importamt for initial transition to multicellularuty (Hanschen et al. 2016, Nat. Comm.).

Free Research Field

進化生物学