Molecular mechanisms for micropeptide functions

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24370090
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Developmental biology
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: KAGEYAMA Yuji 神戸大学, 遺伝子実験センター, 准教授 (90335480)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: マイクロペプチド / ショウジョウバエ / スクリーニング / 遺伝学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Eukaryotic gemomes contain a proportional numer of "micropeptide" genes that encode small peptides in extremely short ORFs. Micropeptides are distinguished from canonical active peptide molecules, which are translated as a long precursor and secreted into extracellular spaces, and should therefore function in cytoplasm, although little is known about its molecular mechanisms.
In this study, we focused on Drosophila polished rice gene that encode 11- and 32-aa micropeptides. We found that pri is specifically expressed in metamorphic stages and induced by ectopic application of ecdysone. Phenotypic analysis of hypomophic allies of the pri gene demonstrated that pri is essential for progress of metamorphosis and regulate ecdysone-dependent gene network.

Free Research Field

分子遺伝学