Establishment of crop cultivation method for improving heat stress tolerance using information memorized by plants

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K15403
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Environmental agriculture(including landscape science)
• Research Institution: Sophia University
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Nobuhiro 上智大学, 理工学部, 准教授 (50735925)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 熱ストレス / 長距離シグナル / 記憶

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When only a small part of the plant is exposed to heat stress, this information transfer to the whole plant (we call it long-distance signaling). Then, mechanisms to respond to severe heat stress are activated in whole plant. In addition, plants possess an ability to remember past exposure to heat stress to be better prepared for subsequent severe heat stress. Based on the knowledge associated with these ability of plants, we attempted to establish the way to enhance heat tolerance of plants by using Arabidopsis plants. We found that plants are able to acquire tolerance to severe heat stress by exposure of only two leaves to heat stress followed by recovery under the normal condition for 3 hours. In addition, tolerance to severe heat stress was also enhanced by direct heat exposure of whole plant only for 5 min followed by 3-hour recovery.

Free Research Field

植物生理学・分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、地球温暖化に伴う温度上昇による作物収量の低下が報告されており、この影響により食料問題が深刻化する恐れもある。これまで遺伝子組換えにより作物の熱ストレス耐性を向上させる報告が多数あるものの、日本も含め遺伝子組換え作物の栽培に規制がある国での社会への実装は難しい。また、従来の交配に頼る品種改良には長い年月がかかり、地球温暖化が進行するスピードに追い付かない恐れもある。本研究の成果は、植物体の一部分に熱ストレス処理をするだけで熱ストレス耐性が向上することを示した。この知見を利用すれば、簡便な方法により作物の熱ストレス耐性を向上させる有効な技術の開発が可能になると考えられる。