Logics of pattern formation that supports cell fate determination and functional differentiation

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project Area: Multidimensional Exploration of Logics of Plant Development
• Project/Area Number: 25113007
• 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: Nakajima Keiji 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 (80273853)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HASHIMOTO Takashi 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 (80180826) ; KOI Satoshi 大阪市立大学, 理学部附属植物園, 講師 (60470019) ; MIYASHIMA Shunsuke 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 助教 (20727169) ; GOH Tatsuaki 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 助教 (80511419) ; HISANAGA Tetsuya 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 研究員 (20748355) ; FURUTA Kaori (MIYASHIMA Kaori) 奈良先端科学技術大学院大学, バイオサイエンス研究科, 研究員 (10746655)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-06-28 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 植物 / マイクロRNA / 細胞分化 / パターン形成 / 根冠 / 生殖細胞 / 性分化 / ゼニゴケ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this project, following three mechanisms were identified. First, in many aspects of plant morphogenesis, small RNA molecules produced at a certain group of cells traffic to the surrounding cells, and thereby act as positional cues to form precise cellular patterns. Second, functions of the plant root cap were found to be implemented by a diverse cellular functions, such as cell wall modification, programmed cell death, production of anti-pathogenic compounds, membrane traffic, and lipid biosynthesis. Third, by using a newly established liverwort system, evolutionarily conserved master regulators for egg cell formation and sexual differentiation were identified.

Free Research Field

植物発生生物学