The World's First Discovery of genes in jigsaw-like pieces from an archaeon living in hot spring

Finding of graduate students is published in PNAS (online)
The World's First Discovery of genes in jigsaw-like pieces from an archaeon living in hot spring
--- A new insight into the origin of genes ---

At the IAB the research group including graduate students Kosuke Fujishima (Graduate School of Media and Governance, doctoral program), Junichi Sugahara (Graduate School of Media and Governance, master's program) and Professor Akio Kanai made the world's first discovery of unique genes from a hyperthermoacidophilic Archaeon Caldivirga maquilingensis that are split in 3 pieces. This research has been published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Online (PNAS online) on 3 February, 2009.

>> Article Abstract

1. About the findings
The research group has found that combination of 3 individual RNA produced from separate genes can generate transfer RNA (tRNA) that are essential for decoding the genomic information during protein biosynthesis. Usually, tRNA is encoded on the genomic DNA as a single gene, while in this archaeon, some tRNAs are encoded as a split tRNA genes. Furthermore, through computational analysis and experimental verification, the group has found that different tRNA genes are produced by various combinations of split tRNA (like a jigsaw puzzle, see Figure). This very rare phenomenon found in the deep-branching archaeon suggests that in ancient life, short genes could have been used in multiple combinations.

2. First author's comments
Kosuke Fujishima speculates, "It is hard to believe that long functional genes existed from the early time of ancient life. It may be possible that as in the tRNA genes we've found, long genes may have evolved from the combination of short genes through trial and error". These findings are highly expected to lead to explaining the origin and evolution of genes.

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