Comprehensive analysis of gene regulation cascades via chromatin modifications in fungi

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04883
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: NAKAYASHIKI HITOSHI 神戸大学, 農学研究科, 教授 (50252804)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 竹田 篤史 立命館大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (60560779)
• Research Collaborator: Quyet Nguyen
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: いもち病菌 / エピジェネティクス / ヒストン修飾

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The rice blast fungus Pyricularia oryzae shows dramatic morphological changes during infection with global transcriptional alterations possibly resulted from genome-wide chromatin remodeling. We previously showed that MoSET1, histone methyltransferase responsible for H3K4me played the most important roles in infection-related gene expression. In this study, we examined signal pathways up- and down-stream of MoSET1. Using yeast-two-hybrid assay, physical interaction between MoSET1 and protein kinases involved in signal perception was investigated. Some of them bound to MoSET1 in a kinase activity-dependent manner, suggesting MoSET1 could be phosphorylated by them. We also constructed 15 gene knock-out (KO) mutants of MoSET1-dependent transcription factors and kinases. Some of the gene KO mutants showed defects in growth, appressorium formation, conidiation and pathogenicity, suggesting that these genes could be executers of infection-related morphogenesis under the control of MoSET1.

Free Research Field

植物病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

イネ科植物いもち病菌は、我が国の稲作にとって最も重要な植物病原菌である。この菌は、感染の過程で細胞分化を行い付着器という特殊な細胞を形成し、植物へと侵入していく。この細胞分化にはクロマチン構造の変化が伴っていると想定されるが、本研究ではその変化に重要な役割を果たすMoSET1を中心として、そこに至るまでのシグナル伝達系、またそれに制御される下流遺伝子など、そのシグナルカスケードの一端を明らかにした。