Reconstitution studies on vascular stem cell fate determination

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15815
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 44030:Plant molecular biology and physiology-related
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Kondo Yuki 神戸大学, 理学研究科, 准教授 (70733575)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 維管束 / 幹細胞 / 細胞分化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Vascular system is essential for material transport throughout the plant body. These diverse vascular cells are commonly generated from vascular stem cells. In this study, we investigated the process of vascular development from the viewpoint of constitutive biology by artificially induce vascular cells using the vascular differentiation induction system VISUAL and its modified version VISUAL-CC. Genetic analysis identified a new mutant that has defect in stem cell formation and its responsible gene was determined. In addition, we developed a single-cell fate quantitative imaging technique using luminescent microscopy during the induction of vascular differentiation, and succeeded in observing the spatiotemporal dynamics of xylem and phloem fates.

Free Research Field

植物生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

VISUALを用いた遺伝学解析から新たに維管束幹細胞形成に関わる遺伝子、そして生理学的解析から幹細胞分化を負に制御するTDIFと正に制御するBRのクロストークを明らかにした。このように本研究は、維管束幹細胞を制御する新規遺伝子やメカニズムの発見につながった。維管束幹細胞制御の理解は、我々人間が素材として利用する木質細胞の性質デザインにつながる可能性がある。引き続き、維管束幹細胞制御の解明を目指すことで低炭素社会の実現に貢献できるような研究を進めていきたい。