2005 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Molecular basis for initial process of centriole assembly
| Project/Area Number |
15370082
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Cell biology
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
HIRONO Masafumi The University of Tokyo, Department of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor, 大学院・理学研究科, 助教授 (10212177)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
KAMIYA Ritsu The University of Tokyo, Department of Biological Sciences, Professor, 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (10124314)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2005
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| Keywords | centriole / basal body / Chlamydomonas / microtubules / flagella / Bld10 / vdn1 |
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| Research Abstract |
Centriole has a unique structure composed of nine short triplet microtubules arranged in rotational symmetry. This organelle is assembled through a semi-conservative duplication that occurred once per cell cycle. Although it has been a subject of much interest, the assembly mechanism of the centriole remains totally unknown. The aim of this project is to provide valuable data for understanding the mechanism through a genetic approach using Chlamydomonas. The accomplishments of this project can be summarized into the following three points :
1. A function of a protein named Bld10p essential for centriole (basal body) assembly was found to connect the cartwheel and the triplets. The cartwheel is a structure locating at the proximal end of the basal body and presumed to be involved in establishing the nine-fold symmetry of the organelle. Observation of basal bodies in cells expressing a truncated Bld10p provided data for the protein's function.
2. An extragenic suppressor of a mutant bld10 that lacks the Bld10p was isolated. This mutation is likely to be an interactive or an informational suppressor because of its allele-specificity. Thus analysis of this mutant leads to a possibility of identifying a new protein that interacts with Bld10p. By PCR-based mapping, we have narrowed down the gene locus to a 700 kb-area.
3. A mutant that has a defect in the initial process of the basal body assembly was isolated. This mutant, named vdn1 for variable doublet number, produces flagella with 7-11 outer doublets because the basal body is unstable in forming the nine-fold symmetrical structure. Electron microscopy revealed that this mutant has aberrant cartwheels.
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Research Products
(16 results)
