New approaches to the plant CO2 sensing and signaling

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Comprehensive studies of plant responses to high CO2 world by an innovative consortium of ecologists and molecular biologists
• Project/Area Number: 21114002
• 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: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: IBA Koh 九州大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (10192501)
• Project Period (FY): 2009-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: CO2 / 高等植物 / 気孔 / シグナル伝達 / サーモグラフィー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

CO2 acts as an environmental signal that regulates stomatal movements. In contrast to our advanced understanding of light and drought stress responses in guard cells, the molecular mechanisms underlying stomatal CO2 sensing and signaling are largely unknown. Leaf temperature provides a convenient indicator of transpiration, and can be used to detect mutants with altered stomatal control. To identify genes that function in CO2 responses in guard cells, CO2 insensitive mutants were isolated through high-throughput leaf thermal imaging. The isolated mutants are categorized into three-groups according to their phenotypes: (1) impaired in stomatal opening under low CO2 concentrations; (2) impaired in stomatal closing under high CO2 concentrations; (3) impaired in stomatal development. Characterization of these mutants has begun to yield insights into the mechanisms of stomatal CO2 responses.

Free Research Field

生物学