Evolution of chemical defense using momilactones in land plant

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25350972
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biomolecular chemistry
• Research Institution: Okayama University of Science
• Principal Investigator: Nozaki Hiroshi 岡山理科大学, 理学部, 教授 (60159085)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): Kawaide Hiroshi 東京農工大学, (連合)農学研究科, 准教授 (20291916) ; Hayashi Kenichiro 岡山理科大学, 理学部, 教授 (30289136)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): Okada Kazunori 東京大学, 生物生産工学研究センター, 准教授 (20312241)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: モミラクトン / 化学防御 / 蘚類 / ジテルペン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Momilactones has been extensively investigated as important diterpenoid-type phytoalexins and allelochemicals in rice. Interestingly, the moss Hypnum plumaeforme, evolutionally distinct plant from rice, produce momilactones in response to stress response in chemical defense system. In this study, we identified HpDTC1 enncoding pimaradiene synthase in the first committed step of momilactone biosynthesis in the moss, and demonstrate that HpDTC1 transcriptional regulation is mediated by both biotic and abiotic stresses. Further, proHpDTC1::GUS reporter analysis in transgenic moss Physcomitrella patens revealed the stress signaling is commonly conserved among moss plants. Our study demonstrates the molecular basis of momilactones biosynthesis in the moss leading to the ancestral chemical defense system in plant evolution.

Free Research Field

生物有機化学