Functional analysis of the Strigolactone receptor that regulates environmental responses and growth in strawberry using the knockout mutants generated by genome editing

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K05972
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 39010:Science in plant genetics and breeding-related
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology (2021); The University of Tokushima (2019-2020)
• Principal Investigator: Osakabe Yuriko 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 教授 (50444071)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ストリゴラクトン / 栄養繁殖 / ゲノム編集 / イチゴ / 環境応答

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Strigolactone (SL) regulates plant development and environmental responses, however, how SLs activate the downstream crosstalk pathway between growth and environmental adaptation in clonal plants remains unknown. We focus on SL function in Fragaria as model for clonal plants and generated the F. vesca mutants for DWARF14 (D14), a SL receptor, by CRISPR/Cas9. The fvd14 knockout exhibited trade-off in growth responses between organ sizes and numbers during vegetative growth. The mutants also exhibited the increased stomatal aperture, however, it was regulated by the abscisic acid (ABA)-independent pathway. Transcriptome analysis indicated FvD14 controls many downstream genes including plant hormone responses and several metabolic pathways. These findings reveal a comprehensive cross-talks of plant development and environmental responses, in which SL perception acts a central role in the clonal plant, Fragaria.

Free Research Field

植物分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は、植物の繁殖様式と環境因子との関わりを分子レベルで解明するため、クローナル植物のモデルとしてのイチゴ属において、植物ホルモンストリゴラクトン(SL)受容体D14の欠損変異体をゲノム編集で作製し、その表現型を解析した。本研究により、クローナル植物であるイチゴ属の栄養繁殖と環境適応に関わる様々なプロセスにおいてSLが中心的な役割を持つということと、そのクロストークの詳細が初めて明らかにされた。環境に対する植物の適応メカニズムの解明だけでなく育種や生態学に重要な知見をもたらすと期待できる。さらにイチゴにおける新しい品種改良を目指したゲノム編集基盤として応用技術への波及効果が期待できる。