Analysis of biological responses tol toxicity in model organisms using environmental RNA.

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K22934
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 64:Environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Hyogo
• Principal Investigator: Hideyuki Doi 兵庫県立大学, シミュレーション学研究科, 准教授 (80608505)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 坂本 正樹 富山県立大学, 工学部, 准教授 (20580070)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-06-28 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 環境RNA / 環境DNA / 毒性 / 遺伝子発現

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted this project toto establish an innovative technology for continuous measurement of gene expression responses of organisms using environmental RNA (eRNA), especially for applying to capture biological responses to toxicity over time. We developed a novel method to collect and sequence environmental RNA for using Daphnia magna, a toxic-standard test organism whose whole genome has been published. Daphnia magna was reared in a bottle exposed to dissolved copper, and the RNA was extracted from the water and the organism. The RNAseq was performed by RNA sequencing for ultra-low RNA concentration. The results were compared with RNAseq from the organisms, and the differences and similar in gene expressions were observed in the eRNA extracted from the water, depending on the presence or absence of copper toxicity.

Free Research Field

生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で開発した、環境RNAの解析では試験個体を分析に供するため、生きたまま連続的に関連遺伝子の発現量を追うことが不可能である。この問題を解決することができれば、現行の生態毒性試験で生物の生死や成長、増殖などの挙動を追うと同時に、関連遺伝子の発現量の変化をとらえることが可能となる。そこで、本研究では、水中において存在している“環境RNA“を用いて、遺伝子発現を解析する革新的手法を開発した。この”環境RNAにより生物の遺伝子発現反応を連続測定できる革新的技術”を確立により、毒性への生物応答を継時的に捉えるために応用することができると考えらえっる