Understanding a mechanism regulating cellular differentiation using rice embryo.(Fostering Joint International Research)

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15KK0279
• Research Category: Fund for the Promotion of Joint International Research (Fostering Joint International Research)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Science in genetics and breeding
• Research Institution: National Institute of Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Yutaka Sato 国立遺伝学研究所, ゲノム・進化研究系, 教授 (40345872)
• Project Period (FY): 2016 – 2019
• Keywords: イネ / トウモロコシ / 胚

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to understand the conservation and diversities of molecular mechanism governing plant embryogenesis, I tried to compare embryogenesis of rice and maize through identification of similar set of mutations between them. I screened gle-like mutants in maize and identified several causal genes that give rise to gle phenotype. It turned out that all the causal mutations for gle found in maize are not the one previously identified in rice gle mutations. This suggests that embryo mutations recovered in maize and rice look similar but the pathway identified through these mutations are different. This is possibly due to the difference in genetic redundancy in these pathways. Thus, it is worth analyzing the embryo mutant in different plant materials so that whole pivotal pathways for plant embryogenesis become elucidated.

Free Research Field

植物発生遺伝学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により、日本のイネ研究者が主導する植物発生学と、米国のトウモロコシ用いた植物発生学研究者との国際的な連携を通して、同じイネ科作物であるイネとトウモロコシの発生の共通性と特異性を議論することができるようになった。今後、シロイヌナズナ一辺倒の現在の偏った植物発生学をより幅広い考察が可能な学問分野へと発展させることが期待される。