Nitrogen starvation response in a C4 model plant, Setaria viridis

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K21271
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 38:Agricultural chemistry and related fields
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: Kiba Takatoshi 名古屋大学, 生命農学研究科, 准教授 (20532097)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Bellegarde Fanny 名古屋大学, 生命農学研究科, 特任助教 (20867618)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-07-30 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 窒素欠乏応答 / エノコログサ / 窒素栄養

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The molecular mechanisms of how plants sense and respond to nitrogen deficiency, which they often encounter in the natural environment, are not well understood. One reason for this is that the forward genetic approach using Arabidopsis is approaching its limits. In this study, we attempted to solve this problem by developing a new forward genetic research material, Setaria viridis, a C4 monocotyledonous plant. To this end, we produced a platinum-quality genome assembly and de novo assemblies for 598 wild accessions, created a mutant library, determined the cultivation conditions that induce nitrogen deficiency in juvenile and mature plants, and collected basic data on the physiological response of the plant to nitrogen deficiency.

Free Research Field

植物栄養学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究がさらに進展し、多くの研究者がエノコログサを順遺伝学的研究に容易に利用できるようになれば、窒素欠乏感知・応答機構を含め植物に普遍的な生命現象についての理解だけでなく、C4植物に特徴的な生命現象の研究の方向性にも大きな変革をもたらすであろう。特筆すべきは、エノコログサが、トウモロコシなど、その大きさゆえに遺伝学的研究には様々な困難が伴う作物と同じC4植物であることである。エノコログサを用いれば、これまでは不可能だった実験系も可能となり、C4 光合成成立の仕組み、C4 植物に特徴的な高い窒素利用効率や乾燥耐性を支えるメカニズム、C4草本雑草防除の研究にも大きな波及効果が期待できる。