Molecular basis of plant immune respnses against plant viruses

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17H03770
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant protection science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: YAMAJI Yasuyuki 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 教授 (40345187)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: レクチン抵抗性 / 劣性抵抗性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plant immunity is an important area of research for increasing food production, and although the initial process of pathogen recognition by plants has been intensively studied, how plant immune responses ultimately act on pathogens to inhibit infection has remained largely unexplored. In this study, we focused on lectin-mediated resistance, which was found by our group to be a major plant immune response to viruses, and employed a highly controlled in vitro experimental system to clarify the point of action of lectin-mediated resistance in inhibiting virus infection. Based on these findings, we have elucidated the range of plant viruses in which lectin-mediated resistance is effective, and found that lectin -mediated resistance contributes to the control of viral diseases in practical crops.

Free Research Field

植物病理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植物免疫に関する基礎研究を実用的なウイルス耐性戦略に結びつけるためには、防御応答が具体的に病原体をどのように排除しているかの解明が最も重要であるが、技術的・材料的な制約からその作用点はほとんど解明されていない。本研究では植物ウイルスに対するレクチン抵抗性の作用点を解明し、さらにその知見を応用して実用作物において高度なウイルス抵抗性系統を作出した。これらの成果はこれまでブラックボックスであった植物免疫応答作用点の解明を通じて、新たな植物ウイルス耐性戦略確立に向けた知的・技術シーズを生み出すものであり、学術的・社会的意義が極めて高い。