Molecular Function of Florigen Activation Complex

• Project/Area Number: 16H02532
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Science in genetics and breeding
• Research Institution: Yokohama City University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Hiroyuki 横浜市立大学, 木原生物学研究所, 准教授 (40437512)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 田岡 健一郎 横浜市立大学, 木原生物学研究所, 特任助教 (00467698)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2019)
• Budget Amount: ¥39,650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥30,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥9,150,000); Fiscal Year 2019: ¥8,970,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,070,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥8,970,000 (Direct Cost: ¥6,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,070,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥10,530,000 (Direct Cost: ¥8,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,430,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥11,180,000 (Direct Cost: ¥8,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥2,580,000)
• Keywords: フロリゲン / メリステム / イネ / 花成 / 生殖 / フロリゲン活性化複合体 / 植物 / 発生・分化 / 育種学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Florigen (its molecular nature is the FT/Hd3a protein) is a strong determinant of the timing of flowering in plants. The major function of florigen is executed by forming a transcriptional complex called florigen activation complex. Florigen is a globular protein whose biochemical function cannot be clearly identified, and the overall picture of the direct transcriptional targets of the florigen activation complex is unknown. We attempted to visualize the process of florigen distribution in the shoot apical meristem and promotion of downstream gene expression. We found that florigen accumulates in different region of the SAM in different step of flowering. The mechanism of this change depends on the formation of the florigen activation complex.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

フロリゲンは植物の花芽分化を決定づける最重要因子である。しかしフロリゲンがどのような仕組みで花芽分化を開始させるのかはよくわかっていなかった。フロリゲンはフロリゲン活性化複合体を形成することで花芽分化を開始させるが、重要な問題はこのフロリゲン活性化複合体がいつどこで形成され、どのように分布を変えながら花芽分化を進めていくかという問いである。本研究では独自のライブイメージング技術を開発することによって、この過程を初めて明瞭に捉えることに成功した。植物の花がどのように形成されるのかの理解を深め、さらに花の後に訪れる収穫を最大化するための基礎的な理解を深めるものとなる。

Research Products

• [Int'l Joint Research] CIAT(コロンビア)
• [Int'l Joint Research] ILCMB/AGI/CIAT(ベトナム)
• [Journal Article] Training instance segmentation neural network with synthetic datasets for crop seed phenotyping. (2020)
  • Author(s): Toda, Y., Okura, F., Ito, J. et al.
  • Journal Title: Commun Biol Volume: 3 Issue: 1 Pages: 173-173
  • DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-0905-5
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Life-course monitoring of endogenous phytohormone levels under field conditions reveals diversity of physiological states among barley accessions (2020)
  • Author(s): Hirayama T, Saisho D, Matsuura T, Okada S, Takahagi K, Kanatani A, Ito J, Tsuji H, Ikeda Y, Mochida K
  • Journal Title: Plant Cell Physiologists Volume: pcaa046 Issue: 8 Pages: 1-32
  • DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcaa046
  • NAID: 120007019116
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] WEG1 , which encodes a cell wall hydroxyproline‐rich glycoprotein, is essential for parental root elongation controlling lateral root formation in rice (2020)
  • Author(s): Lucob‐Agustin Nonawin、Kawai Tsubasa、Takahashi‐Nosaka Misuzu、Kano‐Nakata Mana、Wainaina Cornelius M.、Hasegawa Tomomi、Inari‐Ikeda Mayuko、Sato Moeko、Tsuji Hiroyuki、Yamauchi Akira、Inukai Yoshiaki
  • Journal Title: Physiologia Plantarum Volume: 169 Issue: 2 Pages: 214-227
  • DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13063
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Regulation of stomatal opening and histone modification by photoperiod in Arabidopsis thaliana (2019)
  • Author(s): Aoki Saya、Toh Shigeo、Nakamichi Norihito、Hayashi Yuki、Wang Yin、Suzuki Takamasa、Tsuji Hiroyuki、Kinoshita Toshinori
  • Journal Title: Scientific Reports Volume: 9 Issue: 1 Pages: 10054-10054
  • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-46440-0
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] TILLERS ABSENT1, the WUSCHEL ortholog, is not involved in stem cell maintenance in the shoot apical meristem in rice (2019)
  • Author(s): Chie Suzuki, Wakana Tanaka, Hiroyuki Tsuji, and Hiro-Yuki Hirano
  • Journal Title: Plant Signaling & Behavior Volume: 14 Issue: 9 Pages: 1640565-1640565
  • DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2019.1640565
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] An optimized isolation protocol yields high‐quality RNA from cassava tissues ( Manihot esculenta Crantz) (2019)
  • Author(s): Behnam Babak、Bohorquez‐Chaux Adriana、Castaneda‐Mendez Oscar Fernando、Tsuji Hiroyuki、Ishitani Manabu、Becerra Lopez‐Lavalle Luis Augusto
  • Journal Title: FEBS Open Bio Volume: 9 Issue: 4 Pages: 814-825
  • DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.12561
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
• [Journal Article] Development of the VIGS System in the Dioecious Plant Silene latifolia (2019)
  • Author(s): Fujita Naoko、Kazama Yusuke、Yamagishi Noriko、Watanabe Kyoko、Ando Saki、Tsuji Hiroyuki、Kawano Shigeyuki、Yoshikawa Nobuyuki、Komatsu Ken
  • Journal Title: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Volume: 20 Issue: 5 Pages: 1031-1031
  • DOI: 10.3390/ijms20051031
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] TFL1-Like Proteins in Rice Antagonize Rice FT-Like Protein in Inflorescence Development by Competition for Complex Formation with 14-3-3 and FD. (2018)
  • Author(s): Kaneko-Suzuki M, Kurihara-Ishikawa R, Okushita-Terakawa C, Kojima C, Nagano-Fujiwara M, Ohki I, Tsuji H, Shimamoto K, Taoka KI.
  • Journal Title: Plant Cell Physiol. Volume: 59 Issue: 3 Pages: 458-468
  • DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcy021
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access
• [Journal Article] Molecular function of florigen (2017)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Journal Title: Breeding Science Volume: 67 Issue: 4 Pages: 327-332
  • DOI: 10.1270/jsbbs.17026
  • NAID: 130006164476
  • ISSN: 1344-7610, 1347-3735
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Imaging florigen distribution in vivo (2017)
  • Author(s): Saihara N and Tsuji H
  • Journal Title: Plant Morphology Volume: 印刷中
  • NAID: 130006647096
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Molecular function of florigen (2019)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: PSC seminar, Shanghai Jao Tong University, Shanghai, China
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Molecular function of florigen (2019)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Imaging florigen distribution in the shoot apical meristem (2019)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: 17th International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics (ISRFG2019)
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] DNA Methylation of the Transposable Elements Is Reconfigured at the Onset of the Reproductive Phase in the Rice Shoot Apical Meristem (2019)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: Plant and Animal Genome XXVII
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Molecular Function of Florigen (2018)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: 16th International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Developmental phenology of shoot apical meristem in rice (2018)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: MBE Satellite Symposium “Genomics and Modeling”
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Maintenance of Stem-ness and Cell Fate Determination in Plants and Animals (2018)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: 第59回日本植物生理学会年会
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] Florigen-induced transposon silencing in the shoot apical meristem (2017)
  • Author(s): Tsuji H
  • Organizer: Cold Spring Harbor Asia Conference on Plant Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Int'l Joint Research / Invited
• [Presentation] フロリゲンが植物に環境の記憶を刻み込む過程のイメージング (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻 寛之
  • Organizer: 日本植物学会第80回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 沖縄コンベンションセンター 沖縄県那覇市
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-13
  • Invited
• [Presentation] フロリゲンの超解像度イメージング (2016)
  • Author(s): 辻 寛之
  • Organizer: イネ遺伝学・分子生物学ワークショップ2016
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学 愛知県名古屋市
  • Year and Date: 2016-07-04
  • Invited
• [Remarks] 横浜市立大学・木原生物学研究所 辻研究室
  • URL: https://hiroyukitsuji.tumblr.com/
• [Remarks] 横浜市立大学・木原生物学研究所 辻研究室
  • URL: https://hiroyukitsuji.tumblr.com
• [Remarks] 横浜市立大学・木原生物学研究所 辻研究室
  • URL: http://hiroyukitsuji.tumblr.com
• [Remarks] Website
  • URL: http://hiroyukitsuji.tumblr.com