Molecular basis of the intracellular life of bacteria within eukaryotic cells

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: "Matryoshka"-type evolution of eukaryotes
• Project/Area Number: 23117002
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: NAGAI Hiroki 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 准教授 (80222173)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YAMAGUCHI Hiroyuki 北海道大学, 保健科学研究院, 教授 (40221650) ; MARUYAMA Fumito 京都大学, 医学系研究科, 准教授 (30423122)
• Research Collaborator: Xuan Thanh Bui
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞内共生 / 細胞内寄生 / 細菌 / アメーバ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Primary endosymbiosis, in which bacteria enter (pre-)eukaryotic cells and finally became mitochondria and chloroplasts, plays a critical role in eukaryogenesis. Even today, bacterial invasion into eukaryotic cells takes place every day at sites of infection. In this study, we focused on the relationship between various kinds of intracellular pathogenic/environmental bacteria and their eukaryotic host cells including free-living Acanthamoeba and human cells. We concluded several mechanistic principles which drive the first step of matryoshka-type evolution.

Free Research Field

細菌学、分子生物学