Elucidation of metal physiological roles of amyloid-like proteins in plants

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24658093
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Shizuoka University
• Principal Investigator: HARA Masakazu 静岡大学, グリーン科学技術研究所, 教授 (10293614)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 重金属耐性 / アミロイド / 植物 / デハイドリン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Amyloids are proteins which are related to the brain and nerve system disorder. The proteins change their structures from disordered states to aggregate forms under the presence of metal ions. The established theory regarding the significance of amyloid formation in organisms has not been accepted. This study showed that plants possess amyloid-like proteins which contribute to the heavy metal tolerance in plants. It is known that the amyloid-like proteins which accumulated in plant seeds allow the seeds to maintain their drought tolerance for long periods of time. These results suggest that the amyloid-like proteins are distributed throughout the organisms including plants and are related to their stress tolerance.

Free Research Field

植物ストレス生理学