Elucidating the molecular basis of floral scent diversification driven by plant-pollinator mutualisms.

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H05604
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Evolutionary biology
• Research Institution: National Museum of Nature and Science, Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Okuyama Yudai 独立行政法人国立科学博物館, 植物研究部, 研究主幹 (40522529)
• Research Collaborator: Kakishima Satoshi ; Okamoto Tomoko ; Nakazato Takeru ; Nagano Atsushi ; Kato Makoto
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 花香分析 / 送粉 / 比較ゲノム解析 / 遺伝子発現解析 / 生態的種分化 / 二次代謝

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We obtained the comprehensive datasets of floral scent profiles for the genus Asarum (Aristolochiaceae), Phyllanthus (Phyllanthaceae), and Mitella (Saxifragaceae). Especially we found that the species of the genus Asarum have complex and diverse floral scent profiles; even closely related species had strikingly dissimilar scent profiles. We surveyed the pollination systems for some Asarum species that have diverse floral scent profiles, and found that the pollinators were different among species. We successfully cloned some floral scent-associated genes from these plants. We further obtained the signature of expected divergent selection during ecological speciation in at least three floral scent-associated genes in the genus Mitella.

Free Research Field

植物進化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植物の種の多様性が生じた背景には花粉を運ぶ昆虫（送粉者）との多様かつ特異的な関係が存在すると考えられる。本研究では日本で著しい多様化を遂げた植物の種群としてユキノシタ科チャルメルソウ属やウマノスズクサ科カンアオイ属を研究材料とすることで、送粉者との多様な関係を形作り、ひいては植物の種分化を促した重要な要素の一つとして花の香りの進化があった、という仮説を提唱し、それを部分的に実証することに成功した。