Explanation of the mechanism that influence the cell sensitivity to the toxicity of methylmercury

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24249008
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Environmental pharmacy
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: NAGANUMA AKIRA 東北大学, 薬学研究科(研究院), 教授 (80155952)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): HWANG Gi-Wook 東北大学, 大学院薬学研究科, 講師 (00344680) ; TAKAHASHI Tsutomu 東北大学, 大学院薬学研究科, 助教 (50186376)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: メチル水銀 / 細胞毒性 / ユビキチン・プロテアソームシステム / 毒性増強機構 / 毒性軽減機構 / 培養細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have found that the ubiquitin proteasome (UP) system, which is an intracellular system involved in proteolysis, plays an important role in determination of the sensitivity of yeast cells to methylmercury. In the present study, we searched the enzymes, which affect the methylmercury toxicity, among enzymes involved in the UP system in human cells. As a result, we succeeded in identifying four kinds of ubiquitin transferases, ten kinds of de-ubiquitin enzymes, eight kinds of ubiquitin ligases and six kinds of F-box protein. In addition, we identified several kinds of proteins which participated in expression of the methylmercury toxicity from the proteins which are the substrate of the UP system.

Free Research Field

分子毒性学