Elucidation of the genome stability mechanism that evolved with the multicellularization of plants and their expansion onto land

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K06697
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44030:Plant molecular biology and physiology-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Yoshiyama Kaoru 東北大学, 生命科学研究科, 特任研究員 (10346322)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: DNA損傷 / DNA損傷応答 / 植物 / DNA修復 / 転写レスポンス / 細胞周期 / ゼニゴケ / 植物進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we clarified the DNA damage response in M. polymorpha, which is located at the base of land plants, and compared it with A. thaliana to examine how the maintenance of genome stability has changed during their evolution. When DNA damage occurs in M. polymorpha, a group of genes that respond to DNA repair and DNA damage were activated, but the method of regulation was different from that in A. thaliana. M. polymorpha MpNAC9, which is close to the transcription factor SOG1, the master regulator of the DNA damage response in A. thaliana, played a part in regulating the DNA damage response, but its main function was to regulate the reactive oxygen scavenging system. It was suggested that the factor that mainly controls the DNA damage response in M. polymorpha may be a factor inherited from water plants.

Free Research Field

植物分子遺伝

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

DNA損傷応答は、ゲノムの恒常性を維持する機構であるため、生育様式や生育環境によってDNA損傷応答がどのように変化してきたかを理解することは重要である。さらに近年、DNA損傷応答が低温、高塩濃度、アルミニウムや病原菌の感染といった環境ストレス応答とも密接に関連しているという報告が次々となされている。つまりDNA損傷応答の理解は、環境ストレス応答の理解につながり、本研究で明らかになった陸上植物に普遍的、またはある植物に特異的なDNA損傷応答の知見を足がかりとして、新たな手法による環境ストレス耐性植物の開発といった応用面へ発展する可能性が大いにある。