Search for anti-aging factors encoded in the genome of symbiotic bacteria

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K14643
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Genome biology
• Research Institution: Hosei University
• Principal Investigator: OSHIMA Kenro 法政大学, 生命科学部, 教授 (00401183)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ファイトプラズマ / ゲノム / エフェクター

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Phytoplasmas are bacterial plant pathogens that have devastating effects on the yields of crops and plants worldwide. They are intracellular parasites of both plants and insects, and are spread among plants by insects. Phytoplasmas infect more than 700 plant species and bring about marked changes in plant development, including witches’ broom, dwarfism, and phyllody. The aim of this study is to clarify the molecular mechanism of the host-parasite interaction. We identified 16 PHYL1 proteins, which induce a phyllody symptom, from 16 phytoplasmas belonging to four distinct candidate species. Moreover, we evaluated whether PHYL1 can induce phyllody in plants other than A. thaliana. As a result, PHYL1 was shown to cause phyllody phenotypes in several eudicot species belonging to three different families.

Free Research Field

植物病理学