Splicing mechanism of novel introns in a split form and their evolutionary diversity

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04406
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: HASHIMOTO Tetsuo 筑波大学, 生命環境系, 教授 (50208451)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 奈良 武司 いわき明星大学, 薬学部, 教授 (40276473) ; 稲垣 祐司 筑波大学, 計算科学研究センター, 教授 (50387958) ; 谷藤 吾朗 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 動物研究部, 研究員 (70438480)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 機能進化 / スプライシング / 分割イントロン / ゲノム / Giardia / Kipferlia

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A protozoan parasite, Giardia intestinalis, previously considered as a primitive eukaryote, possesses novel introns with a split form (split introns) which are spliced by trans-splicing. We evolutionarily analyzed the genome and transcriptome of Giardia and found a new split intron of this type and suggested the presence of other candidates. We also sequenced and surveyed the genome and transcriptome of Kipferlia, a close relative of Giardia, and found several candidates of split introns. On the other hand, in order to search for spliceosomal factors participating in the trans-splicing of split introns, we try to isolate and purify spliceosomes from Giardia and to compare the spliceosomal components with those of other eukaryotic model organisms.

Free Research Field

分子進化学