Mechanism of root hydrotropism for water acquisition in land plants

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Environmental sensing of plants: Signal perception, processing and cellular responses
• Project/Area Number: 22120004
• 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: TAKAHASHI Hideyuki 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 教授 (70179513)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIYAZAWA Yutaka 東北大学, 大学院生命科学研究科, 助教 (00342858)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): FUJII Nobuharu 東北大学, 大学院生命科学研究科, 准教授 (70272002) ; MIYAZAWA Yutaka 東北大学, 大学院生命科学研究科, 助教 (00342858) ; YAMAZAKI Tomokazu 東北大学, 大学院生命科学研究科, 博士研究員 (40400189) ; KOBAYASHI Akie 東北大学, 大学院生命科学研究科, 助教 (60463783) ; MORITA Miyo 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 准教授 (10314535)
• Project Period (FY): 2010-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 水分屈性 / MIZU-KUSSEI / MIZ1 / MIZ2

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We attempted to understand the functions of MIZ1 and MIZ2 molecules essential for hydrotropism in roots, an overall pathway of hydrotropism, and its role in nature. We identified cells/tissues required for hydrotropism and novel regulators of hydrotropism in relation to MIZ1 and MIZ2 functions in Arabidopsis roots. It was shown that light and abscisic acid independently regulated MIZ1 transcription and thereby hydrotropic response and that MIZ1 might play a role in hydrotropism and lateral root formation by negatively regulating auxin content. Furthermore, we found that MIZ1-overexpressors enhanced hydrotropic response and the MIZ1-mediated hydrotropism could contribute to plant biomass production and survival in nature by regulating root-system development under water-limited conditions. On the other hand, analyses with other plants such as rice, lotus, and peas revealed the molecular mechanisms that differed among plant species.

Free Research Field

植物生理学