Presence of wax components of Charophytes revealed by Genome and suface lipid analyses and their importance in adaptation to land environment

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H04393
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Morphology/Structure
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ohta Hiroyuki 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 教授 (20233140)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 堀 孝一 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 助教 (70453967) ; 佐々木 結子 (関本結子) 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 研究員 (60422557)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞外皮 / 細胞壁 / ワックス / 植物陸上進出 / 車軸藻植物門 / クレブソルミディウム

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we proposed that charophyte algae, which are the closest algae to land plants, acquired a cuticle-like hydrophobic layer composed of triacylglycerol to adapt to a terrestrial environment by initial land colonization. To demonstrate the hypothesis, we analyzed surface lipids and transcriptome of Klebsormidium, which early diverged from charophyte algae ancestor. As a result, it is assumed that surface structure and its related gene regulation were evolved in a stepwise manner during land colonization while using triacylglycerol as hydrophobic barrier. These results will provide information to clarify relation between process of land colonization by plants and evolution of its surface lipid.

Free Research Field

植物分子生理学