Adaptive evolution through digital changes in the epigenome

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25291080
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: KOBAYASHI Ichizo 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 教授 (30126057)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FURUTA Yoshikazu 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 特任助教 (40613667) ; YANO Hirokazu 東京大学, 新領域創成科学研究科, 特任助教 (20646773) ; HASEBE Mitsuyasu 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 教授 (40237996) ; OHTSUKI Hisashi 総合研究大学院大学, 先導科学研究科, 助教 (50517802)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 適応進化 / エピジェネティクス / メチローム / トランスクリプトーム / 集団構造 / ピロリ菌 / 制限修飾系 / DNAメチル化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined the possibility that diverse epigenomes as opposed to diverse genomes might serve as units of adaptive evolution. We used Helicobacter pylori. We knocked out several genes determining sequence specificity of DNA methylation and analyzed their effects on transcriptome. Based on these, we examined adaptation-related phenotype sets and found unique effects. From 30 H. pylori genome comparison, we revealed high diversity in the restriction-modification systems. It did not closely match the population structure based on genome sequences. We looked for codons with diversifying selection, and found some in the specificity subunits of the restriction-modification systems.

Free Research Field

ゲノム進化