Development of innovative technologies to visualize and control RNAs in living cells

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25708025
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Bio-related chemistry
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Yoshimura Hideaki 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (90464205)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: RNA / イメージング / 1分子観察 / テロメア

Outline of Final Research Achievements

I developed a probe to visualize single-molecule dynamics of telomere repeat-containing RNA (TERRA) in living cells to reveal mechanism of TERRA function in telomere maintenance. I performed single molecule imaging of TERRA and telomere in living U2OS cells using the present probe. Analysis of spatial distribution of TERRA and telomere revealed that TERRA intensively localize in a region 1-2 μm apart from a telomere. Next I performed simultaneous single molecule observation of TERRA, telomere, and hnRNPA1 which is a telomere-related protein. The results of this observation showed that TERRA and hnRNPA1 frequently colocalize to each other in the telomere-surrounding region. On the basis of these results, I propose a novel mechanistic model of TERRA, in which TERRA in the telomere-surrounding region traps hnRNPA1 and control the function of hnRNPA1 to maintain telomere length.

Free Research Field

分析化学