Dynamics of the membrane traffic and the molecular mechanisms in the process of the formation of lineage-specific organelles

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K15825
• 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: National Institute for Basic Biology
• Principal Investigator: Kanazawa Takehiko 基礎生物学研究所, 細胞動態研究部門, 助教 (60802783)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 膜交通 / 分泌経路 / オルガネラ / 油体 / 細胞骨格 / ゼニゴケ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Some lineages of eukaryotes are reported to have acquired lineage-specific organelles accompanied by the development of new membrane trafficking pathways, however the molecular mechanisms and the subcellular dynamics are elusive. I studied the oil body in a liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, as a model of newly-acquired organelles in specific lineages during evolution. I revealed that the liverwort oil body is formed by the periodic redirection of the secretory pathway, and a master transcription factor, MpERF13, regulates the oil body development (Kanazawa et al., 2020). I found that the re-organization of microtubules and the early secretory trafficking pathway played pivotal roles in the normal development of the oil body.

Free Research Field

植物細胞生物学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

内膜系オルガネラの進化と多様化は、膜交通の実行因子が遺伝子重複とその後の変異の蓄積を繰り返すことで機能分化および新規機能獲得を果たし、新規内膜系オルガネラの誕生に繋がったというオルガネラ・パラロジー仮説が提唱されている。本研究成果により、陸上植物の細胞質分裂時の「細胞板」とコケ植物苔類の「油体」が、共通の膜交通経路の転用により形成されており、パラロガスなオルガネラであることを示した。上述の仮説を実験的な証拠を持って強く支持しており、内膜系オルがネラの新規獲得原理の理解に向けた基礎生物学的な重要な知見が得られた。また、油体形成の仕組みの理解は、有用特化代謝産物の効率的な産生への貢献も期待される。