Analysis of the "vacuolar bulb", -its biogenesis, function, and molecular basis-

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: CHIEKO Saito 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科（理学部）, 特任准教授 (10321762)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 液胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plant vacuole is a single-membrane-bound organelle, that occupy more than 90% volume in matured cell. Although the vacuole is often illustrated in many textbooks as a water-balloon-like shape with smooth surface, it has complex three-dimensional configuration actually. Typical examples of such complex shape in vacuolar membrane are transvacuolar strands or "(vacuolar) bulbs" we previously found. I analyzed the biosynthesis pathway of this "(vacuolar) bulb" by transmission electron microscopy using rapid-freeze fixation/freeze substitution. In wild-type cotyledon, the engulfment of the small electron lucent vacuole by large electron dense vacuole is often observed. Two mutants, sgr2-1 and zig-1/vti11, that we previously reported as "(vacuolar) bulb-less" mutants, lacked this engulfment event. These results suggest that the engulfment of small vacuole by big vacuole will make spherical shape and two membranes closely attached, those are typical characters of "(vacuolar) bulbs".

Free Research Field

植物形態学