Identification of a novel regulatory mechanism of mitochondrial morphology in plants

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25840108
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: YAMAOKA Shohei 京都大学, 生命科学研究科, 助教 (00378770)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ミトコンドリア / ライブイメージング / Miro / シロイヌナズナ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Mitochondrial morphology and motility are tightly linked to their functions, and their regulation is critical for many aspects of cellular functions and plant growth and development. In this study, we demonstrated that Arabidopsis MIRO1, an evolutionarily conserved mitochondrial GTPase, physically interact with mitochondrial outer-membrane proteins including voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC). Reduced expression of MIRO1 and insertional mutation of the VDAC genes led to abnormal mitochondrial morphology and impaired plant development. Our observations suggest that MIRO1-VDAC interaction plays a vital role in the maintenance of mitochondrial morphology in plants.

Free Research Field

植物分子細胞生物学