Isolation/identification of novel darkness inducible cell death factors by forward genetics using autophagy-defective plants

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H07255
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Meiji University
• Principal Investigator: Kohki Yoshimoto 明治大学, 農学部, 専任准教授 (40399316)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: タンパク質分解 / 老化 / 細胞死 / オートファジー / オルガネラ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Autophagy is the major system responsible for the degradation of organelles and cytosolic　macromolecules in the vacuole. So far, I have found that autophagy defective mutants (atg mutants) show dark-induced senescence phenotype. However, the reason why defect of autophagy accelerates the senescence phenotype remains to be elucidated.
In this research, I screened suppressors which do not show the accelerated dark-induced senescence phenotype, and isolated 6 independent suppressors. Then, by whole genome sequencings, I identified the putative responsible genes for the suppressors. I also tried to elucidate the physiological functions of plant autophagy under the darkness and further establish research bases for elucidation of molecular mechanisms of dark-induced senescence processes.

Free Research Field

植物分子細胞生物学