Elucidation of the mechanism inhibiting centromere dysfunction

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24770171
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Molecular biology
• Research Institution: Kurume University
• Principal Investigator: SATO Hiroshi 久留米大学, 分子生命科学研究所, 助教 (00421313)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: セントロメア / クロマチン / 染色体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Centromere is essential structure for accurate chromosome segregation in mitosis and meiosis. To elucidate the molecular mechanism maintaining the function of a centromere, we have developed the convenient and advantageous artificially inducible system fusing two chromosomes with the terminal in fission yeast. Screening of deletion mutants by this system indicated that eight strains increased the frequencies of survivors when fused chromosome was generated and two centromeres were harbored in one chromosome. In these mutant, many of survivors harbored a fused chromosome in which either centromere was epigenetically inactivated. These results suggested that the centromeres tend to inactivate in these gene deletions compared to a wild type. Because these genes encoded the proteins related to modification of histone, specific histone modification may be important for inhibition of centromere inactivation.

Free Research Field

分子生物学