Why and how terminally differentiated cells are kept quiescent

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18564
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Ikeuchi Momoko 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 環境資源科学研究センター, 基礎科学特別研究員 (00633570)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 細胞分裂 / 細胞分化 / 再生

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plant cells display remarkable plasticity, yet the potential needs to be controlled in the context of multicellular organisms. We have revealed that a histone modifier PRC2 plays key roles in the maintenance of cellular differentiation status. In this study, I further studied how PRC2 prevents proliferation of terminally differentiated cells. I also found an example of mitotic re-entry and cellular de-differentiation of fully differentiated cells, when plants are exposed to wounding stress.

Free Research Field

生物学