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Plants have the remarkable ability to sense “touch” and “smell.” In our research, we use advanced observation tools to investigate how plants detect stimuli and how they transmit this information to other plants. The ERATO TOYOTA Plant Sensory Transduction Project aims to uncover the “senses” that plants possess and explore ways to contribute to the future of agriculture and environmental conservation. Plants and animals have long been considered very different kinds of organisms, but this perspective may be changing.

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News

Q1

Do plants also have senses?

Five senses of humans

We humans gather information from the world around us by seeing with our eyes,
hearing with our ears, smelling with our nose, and touching with our hands.

But what about plants?
Even though they don’t have eyes, ears, or noses, they sense things like light, wind, temperature, and scents as they grow.

For example, plants grow toward sunlight.
The sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica) folds its leaves when touched.
The Venus flytrap closes when an insect touches the inside of its leaves.

So how do plants sense what is happening around them?

Plants and senses

Q2

What kinds of senses do plants have?

Our research has shown that plants are highly sensitive to changes in their surroundings and respond to them. We have also found that they can transmit this information to nearby plants.

Plants have senses?!

Plants can sense when they’re touched! (Sense of Touch)

When a plant’s leaves are touched or eaten by insects, signals are generated inside the plant and transmitted throughout its body.

Plants communicate through smells? (Sense of Smell)

When a plant is eaten by insects, it can release scents that signal danger to nearby plants. In response, the plants that detect these scents can begin preparing their own defenses in advance.

Q3

How do plants transmit information?

We use Arabidopsis thaliana to study how it senses when its leaves are touched, using specialized equipment. First, let’s play the video! What do you think will happen?

An experiment to study the responses of Arabidopsis thaliana

We’ll explain what the flash of light in the video was and why it happened!

Explanation image 1 Explanation image 2 Explanation image 3 Explanation image 4

Studies have shown that when Arabidopsis thaliana is stimulated on its leaves, a substance called calcium ion travels through the plant.
In the video, the yellow flashes represent calcium ions moving within the plant. After the leaf is eaten by insects, you can see the yellow signal (calcium ions) spreading to other leaves! In our research, we have developed a specialized microscope that allows us to observe this yellow light.

Q4

What will we discover as the research moves forward?

How do plants transmit signals when they are touched?

How do plants respond when they sense a smell?

What happens inside their cells?

Although we know that plants can sense changes in their surroundings, the mechanisms behind this ability are still not fully understood.

Uncovering these mysteries is a major goal of our research.
As our work progresses, it may lead to new ways for plants to grow strong and healthy on their own, even with less pesticides.

Members
We’re the members of the research project!

Masatsugu Toyota
Research Director
Masatsugu Toyota
Hiraku Suda
Project Coordinator
Optical Equipment Development Group
Group Leader
Hiraku Suda
Masayoshi Nakamura
Plant Molecular Genetics Group
Group Leader
Masayoshi Nakamura
Hironori Takeda
Electrophysiology/Structural Biology Group
Group Leader
Hironori Takeda
Mikihiro Shibata
Biophysics Group
Group Leader
Mikihiro Shibata
Kazuo Ebine
Plant Molecular Genetics Group
Sub-Group Leader
Kazuo Ebine
Satoshi Ogawa
Electrophysiology/Structural Biology Group
Sub-Group Leader
Satoshi Ogawa
Hiroshi Watanabe
Biophysics Group
Sub-Group Leader
Hiroshi Watanabe
Ryoma Takeshima
Optical Equipment Development Group
Sub-Group Leader
Ryoma Takeshima
Takumi Tomoi
Plant Molecular Genetics Group
Takumi Tomoi
Noriyoshi Yagi
Plant Molecular Genetics Group
Noriyoshi Yagi
Shuntaro Ono
Electrophysiology/Structural Biology Group
Shuntaro Ono
Amikura-Kawaguchi Yuko
Outreach Division
Yuko Amikura-Kawaguchi

Outreach
Let's learn together!

Outreach activities

We offer free educational materials to help you feel closer to plants at home or at school.
We also host science events throughout the year.

About Us

Our Vision for Creating This Website

This website was created in a friendly and accessible way, so that many people can enjoy learning about plants. It is designed not only for those who want to explore our research more deeply, but also for people who may not usually be interested in science, encouraging them to think, “Maybe I’ll take a look.” If you’d like to discover even more about the fun and fascinating world of plants, feel free to join our events or try out our free learning materials.

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