Elucidation of the molecular mechanism in regulation of photosynthetic function involving mitochondrial PPR proteins

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K05957
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 38060:Applied molecular and cellular biology-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: SUGITA Mamoru 名古屋大学, 情報学研究科, 招へい教員 (70154474)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 青木 摂之 名古屋大学, 情報学研究科, 准教授 (30283469)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / 遺伝子発現 / 転写後制御 / PPRタンパク質 / RNAスプライシング / 光合成 / ヒメツリガネゴケ / 葉緑体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plant mitochondria perform oxygen-consuming respiration that is essential for plant development and growth. Mitochondria possess their own genome and gene expression system, and their gene expression is tightly regulated at the various RNA processing steps. However, key regulatory factors involved in post-transcriptional RNA processing in plant mitochondria are unknown. In this study, novel PLS-type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins involved in RNA splicing of mitochondrial transcripts were identified. In addition, some mitochondrial PPR proteins were discovered to play an important role in photosynthesis in chloroplasts.

Free Research Field

植物オルガネラ分子生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

学術的意義：植物ミトコンドリアの遺伝子発現の仕組みを解明するため、原始的な系統に属するコケ植物を用いて、ミトコンドリア遺伝子の発現制御の要となるpentatrico peptide repeat (PPR)タンパク質の新しい役割を明らかにした点で学術的意義が大きい。
社会的意義：本研究の成果は光合成機能の強化や植物の生産性を増大する基盤となるもので、農業分野や持続可能な開発目標の分野における波及効果が期待される。