U.S.-Japan Cooperative Science: In Vitro Reconstruction of Homologous DNA Recombination

该奖项支持日本大阪大学Shinagawa秀夫博士和美国加州大学戴维斯分校Stephen Kowalczykowski博士为期三年的合作研究项目。该项目的主要目标是利用纯化的蛋白质和DNA成分，以生物化学的方式重建基因重组的过程。基因重组是一个复杂的生物学过程，其机制尚不清楚。然而，正是这个过程导致了基因的分类，从而产生了遗传多样性。此外，如果利用得当，重组既可以用于修复导致某些人类疾病的缺陷基因，也可以用于对农业上重要的植物或动物进行基因工程改造。基因重组是基因靶向的主要方法之一。该提案汇集了构成该过程不同部分的两个主要实验室的努力：Kowalczykowski实验室在体外重现了重组的初始步骤，而Shinagawa实验室则重建了后面的步骤。预计这两个实验室的合作将实现基因重组的首次体外重建。此外，通过思想和技术的交流，该项目将扩大我们的基础知识基础，促进国际了解与合作。＊＊＊

9513155 Kowalczykowski This award supports a three year collaborative research project between Dr. Hideo Shinagawa of Osaka University, Japan and Dr. Stephen Kowalczykowski, University of California, Davis, USA. The major goal of this project is to biochemically reconstitute the process of genetic recombination, using purified protein and DNA components. Genetic recombination is complex biological process whose mechanism is not understood. Yet, it is this process that results in the assortment of genes which gives rise to genetic diversity. Further, if harnessed properly, recombination can be exploited either to repair defective genes that underlie certain human diseases or to genetically engineer agriculturally important plants or animals. Genetic recombination underlies one of the major approaches to gene targeting. The proposal brings together the efforts of two major laboratories that have constituted different parts of the process: the Kowalczykowski laboratory, which has reproduced the initial steps of the recombination in vitro, and the Shinagawa laboratory which has reconstructed the latter steps. It is anticipated that collaboration of these two laboratories will achieve the first in vitro reconstitution of genetic recombination. Furthermore, through the exchange of ideas and technology, this project will broaden our base of basic knowledge and promote international understanding and cooperation. ***