2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
From nutrients to root shape: How nutrients alter root mechanics and shape for an efficient uptake
| Project/Area Number |
19K23661
|
|---|
| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
|---|
Principal Investigator |
バイヤー マルセル・パスカル 東京大学, 大学院農学生命科学研究科(農学部), 特任助教 (30850367)
|
|---|
| Project Period (FY) |
2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
|
| Keywords | Plant / Mechanics / Nutrition / Sensing |
|---|
| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Plant root growth changes in response to nutrients are well known. However, how the nutrient transport itself and the underlying metabolic state of the plant are guiding these growth responses is not well understood.
During the past half year, the ammonium nutritropism observed in rice lateral roots was observed in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, this growth response shows substantial differences between those species. While this process can be easily observed in rice, the gravity stimulation in Arabidopsis needs to be relieved for this purpose.
Substantial progress was made in the determination of mechanical properties of Arabidopsis roots. The use of micropillar now allow the determination of the young`s modulus under various nutrient conditions.
Beside the focus on the ammonium nutritropism, the mechanical analysis of different mutant lines under altering nutrient supply is going forward. This helps to further elucidate the role of nutrient uptake and metabolic state in mechanical adaption to the environment.
Taken together, substantial progress has been made in the analysis of Arabidopsis nutritropism, as well as in the analysis of the mechanical properties in dependance of the environment.
|
| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.
Reason
All in all, the project proceeds relatively smooth. However, the transfer from Rice to Arabidopsis to observe the NH4+ dependent nutritropism took more time than expected. This is because the same response can not be observed in Arabidopsis, unless the gravity stimulation is relieved, which took some time for adaption. Furthermore, the recent laboratory shut down due to the cornoa virus delays the amiRNA library screening as well as the mutant line analysis. Nevertheless, I am confident that the main goals of this project can be achieved in a timely manner.
|
| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
The research will go on as laid out in the grant proposal. The main focus now will lay on the mutant analysis and library screening to identify involved genes for nutritropism in Arabidopsis thaliana.
At the same time, the mechanical analysis and subsequent profiling of Amino acids and Ions will be carried out under different conditions, to link the metabolic state to respective responses. The use of reporter lines for a detailed analysis is the last step, hopefully in combination with the analysis of the identified mutants.
The mechanical analysis will be expended to other mechanical phenomena. It is expected that the analysis of several independent responses will increase our understanding of the link between nutrient uptake, the metabolic state and the resulting mechanical response.
|
| Causes of Carryover |
There are several reasons for Incurring the amount to be used in the next year.
First of all, some items could not be delivered in time, since oversea companys shut down their delivery system due to the Corona Virus. The biggest planned purchase, the stereo-microscope, is obsolet, since we were able to improve the micro device in a way that we can use the base equipment we have. However, the money will be used further to improve the system, since now a different kind of peristialtic pumps is necessary. The re-planning delayed the ordering process. Upon laboratory restart, the cloning kits and librarys as well as the microscope adjustment equipment will be purchased. It is now also time to start the metabolic analysis, so the necessary solutions will also be bought.
|
