Investigation on the origin and evolution of the multicellular body plan in plants by focusing on genomes and mutant analyses in Chara braunii (Charophyceae, Streptophyta)

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K06382
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 45030:Biodiversity and systematics-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Sakayama Hidetoshi 神戸大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (60391108)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 加藤 将 新潟大学, 人文社会科学系, 特任准教授 (30624738)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 進化 / 比較ゲノム / シャジクモ藻類 / ストレプト植物 / 多細胞体制

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we examined two strains of Chara braunii, representing two ecotypes. We tried to obtain mutants by treating vegetative cells and oospores with ethylmethanesulfonate (EMS). A mutant with a phenotype of interest is obtained by screening thalli under a specific condition. We also obtained a mutant from long-term cultured material. We compared their phenotypic characteristics with wild type strains, and moved forward with mating experiments and genome analyses using mutant and wild type strains. In order to establish a gene introduction and stable expression system in Chara, moreover, we explored the developmental processes of thalli reproduced from stem cells of vegetative organs in detail, and tried to introduce the exogenous gene into Chara cells.

Free Research Field

進化系統学、植物分類学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

陸上植物とシャジクモ藻類の多細胞体制の発生システムにどのような違いがあるのかを特定し、植物多細胞体制の進化過程を解明するためには、単なるゲノム配列比較では不十分であり、シャジクモ等の多細胞体制を持つシャジクモ藻類において遺伝子機能解析を行うことが必要不可欠である。本研究で得られたシャジクモにおける変異体の遺伝学的解析、遺伝子導入に関する知見は、シャジクモでこれまで困難であった遺伝子機能解析を実現するための糸口となると期待される。