Molecular mechanism regulating the alternation of generations in land plants using the transcription factor

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24770077
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo (2013-2014); Hiroshima University (2012)
• Principal Investigator: SAKAKIBARA Keiko 東京大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (90590000)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 陸上植物 / 世代交代 / アポスポリー / 転写因子 / ホメオボックス遺伝子 / ヒメツリガネゴケ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Land plants undergo an alternation of generations, producing multicellular bodies in both 1n and 2n generations. We found the transcription factor KNOX2 function in the repression of haploid developmental program in the diploid body. To identify the molecular mechanism regulating the alternation of generations by KNOX2 genes, we performed the comparative transcriptome analysis using the early developing embryos of wild-type and KNOX2 mutant in a moss Physcomitrella patens.
As the result of comparative transcriprome analysis, we found that the expression level of several transcription factors, secondary metabolic synthetic genes was altered in the KNOX2 mutant embryo. We hypothesize that the control of gene regulatory network and metabolism is important to regulate the alternations of generations in land plants.

Free Research Field

植物発生進化学