Evolutionary transition of environmental response mechanisms in photosynthetic organisms

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K23758
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0702:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Hosei University
• Principal Investigator: Ueki Noriko 法政大学, 法学部, 教授 (80415116)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 環境応答 / 走光性 / 鞭毛 / ボルボックス / 多細胞化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Microorganisms that survive by migrating to environments suitable for photosynthesis must maintain their ability of photobehavior even after evolution has increased their cell number and individual's size. In this study, to understand how this compatibility was achieved, flagellar light response was investigated in Volvocales species with various cell numbers, consisting of one cell to of thousands of cells. As a result, at least four different flagellar light response patterns were found in Volvocales. Combined with the phylogenetic relationship, it is indicated that acquisition of the new flagellar patterns enabled larger species to control their locomotion.

Free Research Field

分子細胞生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

それぞれの種が光刺激後にどの鞭毛反応パターンを示すかという結果を系統的関係と合わせることで、多細胞化進化によって個体が大型化し、その運動を制御するより適した鞭毛の光応答パターンが新たに獲得されたという進化過程が見えてくる。さらに、その獲得は複数回起きたことが推測された。本研究結果は、光合成生物の光反応行動と段階的な多細胞化進化の関係をとらえた初めての成果と言える。