Screening of sex-determination gene in Asparagus officinalis

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K19238
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Agricultural chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Murase Kohji 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任准教授 (50467693)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-06-30 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: アスパラガス

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found 5 unreported genes and 3 small RNAs from sex-determination locus in Asparagus officinalis. MSE1 was expressed in male organ at early stage of flower development, while SOFF was expressed in male organ at intermediate stage, which was unexpected result because SOFF should work female organ. MSE1 gene was PCR amplified both male and female in ancestral dioecy species, while SOFF was not amplified. These results suggest that the evolution of dioecy in genus Asparagus is more complex rather than two-gene model.

Free Research Field

植物科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

アスパラガスの雄株は雌株と比較して収量が多く、寿命も長いため、全雄の品種も開発されるなど、生産現場では雄株が重宝されていた。一方で、雄株がなぜそのような優れた性質を示すのかは分子レベルでは不明であった。本研究では性決定領域の解析によって複数の遺伝子がそこに座乗していることを発見した。今後これらの遺伝子の解析によってアスパラガスの生産性を司る遺伝子が明らかになることが期待される。