Development of a new detection method of horizontal gene transfers by fluorescently labeled RNA molecules.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25650131
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: Kyoto Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: OBOKATA Junichi 京都府立大学, 生命環境科学研究科(系), 教授 (50185667)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 蛍光標識RNA / 遺伝子の水平転移 / RNA アプタマー / Spinach / 植物細胞 / DFHBI

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In some species of the sea slugs feeding on the cytoplasm of marine algae, cDNAs from algal mRNAs are sometimes found in the slug’s body and eggs. However, the underlying mechanism of this novel horizontal transfer of the algal gene sequences is totally unknown. Recently, a new RNA aptamer technique to produce fluorescently labeled RNA molecules was reported in animal cells. In this study, we challenged the application of this new RNA labeling technique to visualize the transfer process of the algal mRNA sequences to the slug’s body. Most of the given research period was devoted to the development of fluorescently labeling system of the plant/algal RNAs. However, fluorescence intensity of the labeled RNAs was not enough to detect small number of molecules as in the case of horizontal gene transfer. We are still challenging to improve the fluorescent intensity by several means.

Free Research Field

ゲノム進化生物学