Functional analyses of the master regulator of reprogramming STEMIN

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25291067
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: National Institute for Basic Biology
• Principal Investigator: HASEBE Mitsuyasu 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 教授 (40237996)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 村田 隆 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 准教授 (00242024) ; 石川 雅樹 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 助教 (00586894) ; 西山 智明 金沢大学, 学際科学実験センター, 助教 (50390688) ; 玉田 洋介 基礎生物学研究所, 生物進化研究部門, 助教 (50579290)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 幹細胞 / 再生 / ヒメツリガネゴケ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In Physcomitrella patens, ectopic expression of STEMIN1 transcription factor in gametophores induces reprogramming of leaf cells to chloronema apical stem cells. In this study, we found that STEMIN1 and its paralogs participate in formation of chloronema apical stem cells in protonema development, but not in maintenance of chloronema apical stem cells. To understand roles of STEMIN1 in stem cell formation, we identified STEMIN1-direct target genes with ChIP-seq and RNA-seq analyses. Unexpectedly, we found that the STEMIN1-direct target genes were marked by the H3K27me3 and transcriptionally repressed in leaf cells. On the other hand, after STEMIN1 induction in gametophores, H3K27me3 level in these genes decreased and their transcriptional activation was induced. These results suggest that STEMIN1 binds to the promoter regions of the direct target genes and recruits factor(s) involved in removal of the H3K27me3 to activate the gene expression for stem cell formation.

Free Research Field

進化学