Diversity and evolution of storage glucan synthetic systems in photosynthetic organisms

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24570114
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science
• Principal Investigator: Fujiwara Shoko 東京薬科大学, 生命科学部, 准教授 (30266895)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 貯蔵多糖 / 光合成産物 / デンプン / グリコーゲン / セミアミロペクチン / 光合成生物 / 紅藻 / 緑藻

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Photosynthetic organisms have a wide variety of storage glucans. To clarify the evolutionary processes that led to syntheses of starch and β-glucan, we performed the following analyses: 1. Activities and expression patterns of glucan synthesis-related enzymes were compared between the primitive rhodophytes Cyanidioschyzon (semi-amylopectin-type) and Cyanidium (glycogen-type). To examine roles of the enzymes isoamylase and α-glucan brancing enzyme, disruptants of the genes were constructed in Cyanidioschyzon and the structures of the glucan were characterized. 2. The nucleotide sequence of KRE6 homologue obtained from the haptophyte Pleurochrysis cDNA library has amino acid residues conserved in β-glucan binding proteins. Knockdown of this gene was examined to identify a function of the gene product.

Free Research Field

植物生理学