Establishment of the methylated DNA loci profiling method that reveals the past of clonal plants.

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K06131
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 40010:Forest science-related
• Research Institution: Tsuruoka National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Minami Atsushi 鶴岡工業高等専門学校, その他部局等, 准教授 (50270210)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: クローナル植物 / クローナル低木 / 林床 / DNAメチル化 / エピジェネティクス / MSAP / マイクロサテライトマーカー / ヤブコウジ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We aimed to develop a method for estimating the process of community formation of clonal plants based on the DNA methylation status of individuals. Microsatellite markers for a forestry clonal shrub, Ardisia japonica were developed and used to identify genets (genetic individuals). Three genets occupy 73% of the sampling points in the 1.3 x 1.7 km survey area. The range of them is as large as 1 km in radius. Variation in DNA methylation loci between ramets were analyzed by the efficient MSAP (methylation-sensitive amplified fragment length polymorphism) method. In the the five ramets connected by the rhizomes, the difference in DNA methylation between the previous year's leaf was larger than that of the current year's leaf. However, no relationship was found between ramet's genealogy and DNA methylation status.

Free Research Field

森林生態学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

クローナル植物は、森林の植物群集の重要な構成員であり、森林生態系の動態に重要な役割を持つ。しかしながら、個体識別に分子生物学的実験が必要になることから、その生態に関する研究は遅れている。本研究では様々な森林の林床において優勢な低木であるヤブコウジについて解析し、その遺伝学的個体が非クローナル植物に比べて遥かに巨大で高寿命であることを示した。これは身近な森林の見方を変える知見である。