Faculty of Science and Engineering assistant professor Kenji Okuda (Department of Biological Sciences) has revealed the mechanisms behind RNA sequence recognition through PPR protein, thought to play a major role gene manifestation of life.

Gene manifestation is the synthetic process where, after genetic information written in DNA is copied to RNA, it is then translated as protein. Accordingly, by controlling the movement of RNA, it is believed that the manifestation of genetic information can be controlled. This specific sequence in RNA is recognized, with the combined protein known as PPR protein, and that is believed to be an important key factor in controlling RNA. However, in regards to how PPR protein recognizes multiple specific sequences of RNA was still unknown. Here, 1) it has been proved that PPR protein can recognize multiple RNA which is sequentially different, and 2) revealed that it is possible for each PPR protein to recognize multiple RNA sequences by appropriately using the multiple PPR motifs it possesses.

The results of this research have been published in Nucleic Acids Research. (The online version published on February 23^rd)

Please visit the links below for more information.

• Link: Revealing the tricks of multiple RNA sequence recognition mechanisms through RNA protein - Effective use of the PPR motifs possessed by PPR protein - (PDF: 551KB)
• Link: Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering