Every gene is everywhere, but the environment selects

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26660152
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Aquatic bioproduction science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Ijichi Minoru 東京大学, 大気海洋研究所, 特任研究員 (10633894)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: メタマルチオミクス / メタゲノム / メタプロテオーム / メタメタボローム / セントラルドグマ / メタオーム / 海洋微生物生態系 / 環境適応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this research is to verify, “Every gene is everywhere, but the environment selects” hypotheses by conducting meta-omics approach in different spatial marine environments. The seawater samples for meta-omics analyses obtained from surface, mesopelagic and bathypelagic of each subarctic and subtropical zone in the western North Pacific Ocean.
Many microorganisms belonging to different taxonomical position may share the functionally similar genes. Also, genes coding for basic cellular metabolic functions are scattered among various microorganisms in the wide range of environments. Therefore, shift of the community structures is not necessarily accompanied with genetic structures. Under certain environment, genes to be expressed for particular functions are selected and the expression gives advantages to the cells harbouring the gene. Further meta-genomic analyses together with multi-omics approaches may verify this hypothesis in different temporal marine environments.

Free Research Field

海洋微生物生態