Analysis of molecular mechanisms of vacuolar membrane fusion regulated by SNARE proteins in plant cells

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18551
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Basic Biology (2016); The University of Tokyo (2015)
• Principal Investigator: EBINE Kazuo 基礎生物学研究所, 細胞動態研究部門, 助教 (90590399)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 液胞 / オルガネラ / 膜交通 / SNARE

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The multifunctional vacuole is the largest organelle in plant cells, to and in which many proteins and other components are transported and stored. Three vacuolar transport pathways exist in Arabidopsis cells, but detail mechanisms of these pathways are still unclear. The analysis of transport mechanism of VHP1 to the vacuole suggests that RAB5-dependent RAB7-AP3-independent pathway, which is one of the plant unique pathways, is related to the transport pathway from ER to the vacuole. SNARE proteins are conserved key molecules regulating membrane fusion in membrane trafficking pathways. Vacuolar transport also involves a set of SNARE proteins, which mainly reside on the vacuolar membrane. Vacuolar SNAREs have also been shown to be required for vacuolar morphogenesis. VAM3/SYP22/SGR3 is a Qa-SNARE localizing on the vacuolar membrane. By the analysis of sgr3-1 mutant, alpha-SNAP was isolated as a novel regulator of vacuolar dynamics in plant.

Free Research Field

植物細胞生物学