Mechanisms controlling the indeterminacy of plant stem cells

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Principles of pluripotent stem cells underlying plant vitality
• Project/Area Number: 17H06475
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas (Research in a proposed research area)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Review Section: Biological Sciences
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Kyozuka Junko 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (90273838)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 豊岡 公徳 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 環境資源科学研究センター, 上級技師 (10360596)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 植物幹細胞 / 無限成長性 / 有限成長性 / 転写因子APO2 / TAWAWA（TAW) / イネ穂 / ゼニゴケ / ヒメツリガネゴケ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The pattern of the inflorescence (the branch on which the flowers arrive) is an important trait that affects plant appearance and crop yield and is determined by the timing of the transition of the meristem phase from indeterminate inflorescence meristem to determinate floral meristems. The rice APO2 and TAW1 were known to be important transcription factors that control inflorescence patterns through the control of the meristem phase change. In this study, we show that APO2 binds to the regulatory regions of a common set of genes and repeatedly controls these genes to determine the inflorescence pattern. We also found that TAW1 directly controls genes essential for floral meristem specification and maintenance of stem cells. Furthermore, we discovered that TAW1 functions are widely conserved in land plants.

Free Research Field

a植物形態形成

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で解析した遺伝子はイネ科植物の花序形成において主導的な役割を果たす遺伝子であり、それらの機能や進化に関して基本的な知見が得られた。本成果は基礎研究という立場から重要であり、また、作物の育種という観点からも意義深い。