Molecular dissection of "correlative gene systems" in plant self-incompatibility

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Correlative gene system: establishing next-generation genetics
• Project/Area Number: 23113002
• 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: Nara Institute of Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: TAKAYAMA Seiji 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 教授 (70273836)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HIGASHIYAMA Tetsuya 名古屋大学, 理学研究科(WPI), 教授 (00313205)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝学 / 遺伝子 / ゲノム / 植物 / 進化 / エピジェネティクス / 自家不和合性 / 優劣性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Self-incompatibility (SI) is an intraspecific reproductive barrier adopted by angiosperms that allows the pistil to distinguish between self and non-self pollen. In most species, the self/non-self recognition in SI is controlled by a large number of haplotypes (S1, S2, ---, Sn) at the S-locus. Each S-haplotype encodes both male-specificity and female specificity determinants (S-determinants), and the self/non-self discrimination is accomplished by the S-haplotype-specific interaction between these S-determinants. Therefore, the S-locus is an ideal target to study allelic and epistatic interactions. We focused on the following two types of "correlative gene system" involved in SI, and dissected their molecular mechanisms and their evolutionary histories. (1) Dominant-recessive interactions between S-determinant alleles. (2) Self- and nonself-specific interactions between male and female S-determinants.

Free Research Field

細胞間情報学