Occurrence of progesterone in higher and lower plants and its role in sexual organ differentiation

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24380064
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Bioproduction chemistry/Bioorganic chemistry
• Research Institution: Teikyo University
• Principal Investigator: YOKOTA Takao 帝京大学, 理工学部, 教授 (40011986)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: プロゲステロン / 性分化 / トウモロコシ / 生合成 / 代謝 / ステロイド

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Occurrence of progesterone was found to spread widely in the plant kingdom ranging from higher plants to lower plants including mosses and ferns. Furthermore some species of microorganisms were found to produce progesterone. Deuterated pregnenolone and progesterone were synthesized to clarify the synthesis and metabolism of progesterone. Using these deuterated steroids, it was found that pregnenolone is converted to progesterone which, in turn, is further metabolized to 5a-dihydrproesterone、allopregnanolone and epiallopregnanolone. It seems that the maize gene TS2 is involved in the synthesis of progesterone. It was also found that jasmonic acid influences the synthesis of progesterone. In addition, tobacco flowers have higher ability to convert pregnenolone to progesterone than leaves.

Free Research Field

植物ホルモン