Infection memory: study on antiviral functions of endogenous viruses

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26253027
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Tomonaga Keizo 京都大学, ウイルス・再生医科学研究所, 教授 (10301920)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HONDA Tomoyuki 大阪大学, 大学院医学研究科, 准教授 (80402676)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 内在性ウイルス / ボルナウイルス / ウイルス抵抗性 / 外適応 / 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

It is suggested that our life-form has a mechanism to memorize virus infections as endogenous element in the genomes and uses them as novel genes on evolution. This study was carried out to understand the functions, especially antiviral activity, of endogenous bornavirus-like elements (EBLs) in mammalian genomes, which we found in a previous report. In this study, we demonstrated the expression regulation of EBLs in human genomes, as well as function of a human EBL to regulate neighboring gene expression. Furthermore, we showed that EBLs from mouse and Thirteen-liked ground squirrel genomes express piwi-interacting RNA and protein, respectively, and could act as antiviral factors against bornavirus infection in cultured cells. Moreover, we revealed the possibility that EBLs endogenized in the genome of the Eptesicus genus bat genome encode a functional RNA dependent RNA polymerase derived from ancient bornavirus infection.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学