Regulation of retrotransposons by epigenetic modifications and molecular chaperons

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25503003
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: epigenetics
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Ichiyanagi Kenji 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 准教授 (70401560)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: エピジェネティクス / 転移因子 / 生殖細胞 / DNAメチル化 / piRNA / 熱ショックタンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate the mechanisms of retrotransposon regulation during the development of male germ cells in mice, we analyzed the levels of DNA methylation and RNA expression of a large number of retrotransposons in Pld6 and Dnmt3L mutant germ cells by deep sequencing. We revealed that the post-transcriptional silencing mechanism via piRNA-dependent mRNA cleavage plays a primary role in early germ cells called prospermatogonia, whereas the transcriptional silencing mechanism via DNA methylation later becomes a primary mechanism in spermatocytes executing meiosis. We also revealed, by genetic studies on Hsp90-alpha knockout mice, that Hsp90-alpha plays an important role in the step where piRNAs become loaded onto the piRNA-dependent RNases (i.e., PIWI-family proteins) in prospermatogonia.

Free Research Field

エピジェネティクス