Investigation of molecular mechanisms of chloroplast protein import

• Project/Area Number: 26650017
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Structural biochemistry
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Masato Nakai 大阪大学, たんぱく質研究所, 准教授 (90222158)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2016)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥900,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
• Keywords: 葉緑体 / トランスロコン / 蛋白質複合体 / 蛋白質輸送 / 蛋白質膜透過 / オルガネラ / 再構成 / 膜蛋白質複合体 / タンパク質輸送 / プラスチド / タンパク質膜透過 / 植物 / モータータンパク質 / 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Every cell and cell organelles are surrounded by lipid bilayers which consist of hydrophobic core and therefore act as a barrier for both small and macro molecules such as proteins. Specific molecular machineries called translocon are required to achieve this task. We have been trying to elucidating molecular structure and molecular mechanisms of chloroplast translocons by using transgenic plants expressing tagged components of chloroplast translocons. To date, we have succeeded in preparing such transgenic plants and purified translocons. Further improvements will be needed to bulk up the scale of the purification.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] 葉緑体のタンパク質輸送機構についてーシアノバクテリアの内共生から始まったユニークな進化 (2016)
  • Author(s): 中井 正人
  • Journal Title: 生物の科学:遺伝 Volume: 70 Pages: 105-109
• [Journal Article] YCF1: A Green TIC (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Journal Title: Plant Cell Volume: 27 Issue: 7 Pages: 1834-1838
  • DOI: 10.1105/tpc.15.00363
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The TIC complex uncovered: The alternative view on the molecular mechanism of protein translocation across the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Journal Title: Biochim Biophys Acta. Volume: 1847 Issue: 9 Pages: 1-11
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2015.02.011
  • Peer Reviewed / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Chloroplast Protein Import System (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: BMB2015 日本生化学会・日本分子生物学会 合同大会 シンポジウム "オルガネラバイオロジー：細胞の構造と機能の新しい姿"
  • Place of Presentation: ポートピアホテル, 神戸
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-02
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Evolution of the Chloroplast Protein Import System (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: 2015 International Meeting of "Matryoshka-type Evolution"
  • Place of Presentation: 筑波大学大学会館本館, 筑波
  • Year and Date: 2015-10-02
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Evolution of the Chloroplast Protein Import System (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: Integrated Microbial Biodiversity Program Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Canada, Victoria
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-27
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Unraveling the Mechanism of Protein Transport Across the Chloroplast Inner Envelope Membrane (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: EMBO Conference "Mechanisms and regulation of protein translocation"
  • Place of Presentation: Croatia, Dubrovnik
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-21 – 2015-03-25
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Evolution of the Chloroplast Protein Import System (2015)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: Tokyo Tech-HHU Dusseldorf Joint Symposium on Photosynthesis as a New Chemical Resource
  • Place of Presentation: 東京 東工大キャンパスイノベーションセンター
  • Year and Date: 2015-03-04 – 2015-03-05
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Unraveling the Mechanism of Protein Transport across the Chloroplast Inner Envelope Membrane (2014)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: The Finland-Japan Joint Research Seminar on Photosynthesis
  • Place of Presentation: 北海道 札幌
  • Year and Date: 2014-10-09 – 2014-10-14
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Reevaluation of the involvement of the "old" Tic proteins in chloroplast protein import (2014)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: The International Symposium on the Regulation of Photosynthetic Function
  • Place of Presentation: 中国 桂林
  • Year and Date: 2014-08-16 – 2014-08-20
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Reevaluation of the involvement of the "old" Tic proteins in chloroplast protein import (2014)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: The 16th Annual Meeting of The French Society of Photosynthesis
  • Place of Presentation: France, Paris
  • Year and Date: 2014-04-14 – 2014-04-15
  • Invited
• [Presentation] The evolution of the chloroplast protein import system (2014)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: A DYNAMO LABEX SYMPOSIUM "Evolution, biogenesis and dynamics of energy transducing membranes"
  • Place of Presentation: France, Paris, Maison des Oceans, Institut Oceanographique
  • Year and Date: 2014-04-10
  • Invited
• [Presentation] Unraveling the mechanism of protein transport across the chloroplast inner envelope membrane (2014)
  • Author(s): Masato Nakai
  • Organizer: East Asian Cell Biology Conference
  • Place of Presentation: 韓国 釜山 POSTECH
  • Year and Date: 2014-04-03
  • Invited