Recognition of Cell Positional Relationships by Peptide Hormones:

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19264
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 44:Biology at cellular to organismal levels, and related fields
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: Kakimoto Tatsuo 大阪大学, 大学院理学研究科, 教授 (70214260)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: phloem / 細胞間相互作用 / CLE / 受容体 / 転写因子

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Plant cells differentiate according to their positional relationships, which is necessary for proper pattern formation. We found that plant hormones and peptide hormones are important for constituent cells to differentiate according to their positions. Multiple Phloem-Dof transcription factors, which are master regulators expressed in phloem precursor cells, initiate the program of phloem formation, and induce the peptide signal molecules CLE25, 26, and 45. These CLEs decrease phloem-DOFs thereby preventing surrounding cells from becoming phloem. We also found signals emanated from non-phloem tissues and negatively regulate phloem formation.

Free Research Field

植物科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

篩部形成のマスター転写因子phloem-DOFの発見と、これが側方阻害因子として働くCLEペプチド性シグナル分子を誘導すること、その受容体も明らかにするとともに、CLEはphloem-DOFを分解することで側方阻害効果を発揮することがわかった。篩部パターン形成の仕組みのロジックを提案できたことは学術上重要であると考えている。