Analysis of plant growth through the creation of freehand manipulation of hormone responses

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17KT0017
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 特設分野
• Research Field: Constructive Systems Biology
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Uchida Naoyuki 名古屋大学, 遺伝子実験施設, 教授 (40467692)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-07-18 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: オーキシン / 受容体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study has developed a molecular tool to manipulate hormone responses in a cell type-specific manner. We focused on auxin, a plant hormone known to be involved in various phenomena in various parts of the plant body. We created artificial pairs of artificial hormones and artificial receptors by simultaneously modifying the auxin molecule and its receptor. Using the artificial pairs, it became possible to precisely manipulate the auxin response in a cell type-specific manner. Also, we applied the artificial pairs to the auxin degron (AID) method, which is a technique to eliminate only the targeted proteins in animal cells by exogenously adding auxin. We succeeded in developing a method to eliminate proteins without cytotoxicity by adding the compounds at concentrations 1000 times lower than those of the conventional method.

Free Research Field

植物成長制御学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

今回、人工化合物の作成と受容体の改変により創生に成功したオーキシン応答の操作技術は、今後は基礎植物科学における未解明課題の解決に加え、オーキシン作用を作物栽培に応用する展開においても大きく活用されていくと期待される。また，植物で働く低分子植物ホルモンは他にも多数存在するが、オーキシンと同様にその自在応答操作が困難なものは多い。今後、今回の成果をきっかけに、同様の手法を用いた様々な植物ホルモンの応答操作が生み出されていくことも期待できる。