Analysis of abscisic acid signaling mechanism in red algae Cyanidioschyzon merolae

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K07439
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Plant molecular biology/Plant physiology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Kobayashi Yuki 東京工業大学, 科学技術創成研究院, 助教 (80644616)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 植物ホルモン / アブシシン酸 / 藻類 / シグナル伝達

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We have discovered ABA biosynthesis and function in the most primitive plant, the red alga C. merolae. This finding is significant in elucidating the ABA acquisition process. However, the signal transduction mechanism was unknown. We have found that there are no plant-type ABA receptors, but plant-type regulators are acts in C. merolae. In this study, we analyzed the investigation of the novel ABA receptor in C. merolae and the regulatory mechanism of the downstream gene expression. However, we did not discover the unique type ABA receptor. On the other hand, we succeeded in clarifying all ABA response genes and identifying transcription factors that regulate the expression of all these genes. The ABA signaling mechanism in C. merolae also has a similar mechanism to the plant type, suggesting that it was the prototype of the plant type signaling mechanism.

Free Research Field

植物生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

植物ホルモンであるABAの植物以外の生物における機能やシグナル伝達機構に対する知見は少なく、ABA獲得やその利用の進化的な起源や獲得過程について学術的な興味が高まっている。申請者は、最も原始的な植物であるシゾンでABAの合成と機能を発見し、植物における起源を明らかにした。しかし、シグナル伝達系及びABAによる詳細な遺伝子発現制御機構については不明な点が多い。本研究によってシグナル伝達系で機能する因子の発見と制御の分子機構を明らかにすることが出来た。この成果はABAという植物に普遍的に存在する生体制御機構の獲得過程を明らかにする上で大きな一助となるだろう。