Molecular mechanisms underlying reduced boron requirement in plants

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H06187
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Plant nutrition/Soil science
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: MIWA Kyoko 北海道大学, 地球環境科学研究院, 准教授 (50570587)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: ホウ素 / シロイヌナズナ / 欠乏耐性 / 細胞壁 / 変異体 / 遺伝子 / 要求量

Outline of Final Research Achievements

For sustainable food and plant biomass production, it is necessary to develop plant cultivars tolerant to mineral nutrient deficiency in soil. Boron is an essential micronutrient for plants and this research aimed to identify genes to confer low-boron tolerance through reduction of boron requirement in plants. Arabidopsis thaliana mutants were characterized, which showed reduction in boron concentration in leaves but increase in leaf expansion. It was revealed that the responsible mutations were present in the genes required for synthesis of cell wall pectin, a boron binding site, and translation process. This research successfully identified the genetic resources to reduce boron requirement and proposed molecular mechanisms underlying low-boron tolerance in plants.

Free Research Field

植物栄養学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ホウ素は植物の微量必須元素のひとつであり、細胞壁の構成成分として働く。これまで植物種間や品種間でのホウ素要求量の違いは記述されてきたが、要求量を決定する遺伝子や分子機構は明らかではなかった。本研究では、植物のホウ素要求量を低下させ、ホウ素欠乏耐性を付与する遺伝子変異を複数同定し、植物の成長に必要な栄養量を変化させる分子機構の新たな知見を得た。
また、ホウ素欠乏による農業生産被害は日本を含めて世界で報告されている。本研究の知見はホウ素欠乏耐性品種の効率的な選抜や開発につながると期待される。