Rac-GTPases as a key functional protein for activation of plant secondary metabolism

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K07990
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Natural medicines
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: Kurosaki Fumiya 富山大学, 大学院医学薬学研究部(薬学), 教授 (70143865)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 加藤 康夫 富山県立大学, 工学部, 教授 (20254237) ; 荻田 信二郎 県立広島大学, 生命環境学部, 教授 (50363875)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 有用物質生産 / 遺伝子組み換え植物 / 芳香性セスキテルペン / 植物二次代謝 / Rac型GTPase

Outline of Final Research Achievements

δ-Guaiene is an aroma sesquiterpene compound accumulated in the trunk of Aquilaria microcarpa upon the microbial infection or mechanical wounding. We demonstrated that Rac-GTPase, a class of monomeric GTP binding protein, plays a central role in the transcriptional activation processes ofδ-guaiene synthetic enzyme gene (GS). We also showed that transformation of A. microcarpa with a modified gene of Rac-GTPase, CArac2, of which translate is capable of binging to GTP continuously, resulted in an appreciable expression of GS in the plant cells.
In order to construct the bio-production systems of δ-guaiene, GS plus farnesyl diphosphate synthase gene were co-expressed in Escherichia coli or tobacco BY2 cells. Upon the addition of mevalonolactone as the precursor, δ-guaiene contents in the transformed E. coli was 37.9 mg/L culture while 428 mg/L of the compound was accumulated in BY2 cells.

Free Research Field

植物分子生物学