Understanding of the mechanism of the plant biological clock based on comparison between molecular networks.

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570007
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Genetics/Genome dynamics
• Research Institution: Nagoya University
• Principal Investigator: AOKI Setsuyuki 名古屋大学, 情報科学研究科, 准教授 (30283469)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): TERADA Tomoki 名古屋大学, 大学院工学研究科, 准教授 (20420367) ; YAMASHINO Takashi 名古屋大学, 大学院生命農学研究科, 准教授 (00314005) ; KITAYAMA Yoko 名古屋大学, 大学院理学研究科, 助教 (20444367)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 生物時計 / 生物リズム / 進化 / ヒメツリガネゴケ / 遺伝子破壊 / リン酸リレー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The biological clock is an endogenous oscillation mechanism with a period of about one day, and it is an important adaptive mechanism to survive under day-night environmental cycles. In this study, we studied the molecular mechanisms of the clock of a model basal plant Physcomitrella patens, which diverged from higher plants including the model dicot Arabidopsis thaliana at leas 450 million years ago. By the comparison of the clock machineries between P. patens and A. thaliana,we unraveled the mechanisms shared in both plants, mainly consisting of member genes of CCA1 and PRR families and their interactions, and also a mechanism specific to the moss plant,which includes phosphorylation of PRR proteins. By these findings, understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the plant clocks and their evolutionary changes has been greatly facilitated.

Free Research Field

植物分子生物学