Takashi Akagi

Exploration and design of neo-functions in plant molecules driven by duplications

Researcher

Takashi Akagi

Outline

Plants have undergone frequent lineage-specific genome/gene duplications, which have evolved abundant new phenotypes representing each lineage. Notwithstanding, potential neo-functions of the duplicated genes have been little known yet. Here we focus on genome evolutions of tomato and Ericale fruit crops, to explore neo-functionalized genes/molecules driven by lineage-specific duplications and thereafter adaptive evolutions, and then lastly design them artificially.

Akira Iwase

Deciphering plant cell totipotency from functions of small molecule compounds

Researcher

Akira Iwase

Outline

We human beings make our lives much better by utilizing plants’ regeneration abilities, however, we are still on the way to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of regeneration. In this study, I will isolate small molecule compounds involved in plant cell pluripotency and totipotency through metabolome and screening approaches to clarify their roles in plant tissue and embryo regeneration. We will apply these findings to develop methods to increase tissue culture efficiency for useful plants that are difficult to regenerate.

Yoshimi Oshima

Elucidation and application of cell wall-cuticle continuum

Researcher

Yoshimi Oshima

Outline

The cuticle protecting plants from environmental and biotic stresses has been seen as an outer lipidic layer of an epidermal cell wall. This study considers the cuticle as a “cell wall-cuticle continuum” with no boundary between the cuticle and the cell wall, and will attempt a nondestructive structural analysis through physicochemical methods and epidermal cell wall analysis. We will also make full use of cuticle analysis methods to analyze genetic resources altered within cuticular and cell wall compositions. The aim of these analyses is to elucidate molecular mechanisms of cell wall-cuticle continuum and to develop plant surface modification technologies.

Hiromu Kameoka

Development of AM fungus culture system with a novel plant compound and elucidation of its function in AM symbiosis

Researcher

Hiromu Kameoka

Outline

As arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi provide plants with mineral nutrients, they are used as biofertilizers. Their agricultural use, however, is limited, because they are difficult to culture. Preliminary results suggest that a yet unidentified plant compound promotes the growth of AM fungi. Therefore, this study aims to establish a highly efficient AM fungi culture system with this compound, and elucidate its functions in AM symbiosis.

Tomoko Hirano

Molecular mechanisms of symbiosis and parasitism between gall-inducing insects and host plants

Researcher

Tomoko Hirano

Outline

The formation of plant galls by gall-inducing insects (gallers) is a highly complicated interspecific interaction. These complicated gall structures are induced by certain effector molecules secreted by gallers. However, the identity of these molecules and the mechanisms underlying gall formation are still largely unknown. To elucidate these molecules and mechanisms, I hypothesized that symbiosis and parasitism are established via common inducer molecules called as “sharing factors” with similar characteristics in both of gallers and host plants. The aim of my research project is to identify the sharing factors and reveal how they induce gall structures in the host plants.

Shunsuke Miyashima

Spatiotemporal regulation and dynamics of root defense responses evoked by unique morphogenesis of the root cap

Researcher

Shunsuke Miyashima

Outline

Plants have developed sophisticated immune systems to cope with biotic stress. The root cap, a multi-layered tissue covering the growing root tip, has been proposed to provide protection for the root from pathogen attack, but its role is still poorly understood. In this project, I will elucidate the defense systems evoked by the root cap through the identification of the molecular mechanism that integrates defense metabolism and cell morphogenesis. In particular, using time-laps FRET-FLIM to visualize the metabolons producing tryptophan-derived defense metabolites, I will reveal the dynamics and the regulatory mechanism of metabolon formation upon pathogen attack in the root cap. This study will provide pioneering insights into the spatiotemporal regulation of plant defense responses.

Ryosuke Munakata

Convergent evolution-based design of plant specialized metabolism

Researcher

Ryosuke Munakata

Outline

Plant specialized metabolites (PSMs) have attracted much attention as a natural resource which can support the future sustainable society. For full exploitation of PSMs, new metabolic engineering technologies are required. In this project, based on the fact that unrelated plant taxa produce the same PSMs, I will investigate convergent evolution events which have diversified molecular mechanisms of biosynthesis, secretion, and accumulation of PSMs. Next, using a synthetic biological approach, I will integrate the genetic diversities derived from the convergent evolution into heterologous species to create production systems of PSMs. This convergent evolution-based metabolic design is a novel concept in engineering of plant metabolism and will promote the use of a variety of beneficial PSMs.

Kei Murakami

Development of new synthetic reaction of polyamine derivatives toward the discovery of novel stomatal-influencing molecules

Researcher

Kei Murakami

Outline

This research will stem from investigating fundamental chemical reactivity. Firstly, we will develop new catalytic reactions to synthesize various polyamine derivatives. The novel polyamine molecules will then be compiled into a chemical library and their biological activity will be investigated. When a hit molecule is found, we will immediately move on to chemical biology research to investigate the biological activity of polyamines.

Kazuki Motomura

Analysis of cell-to-cell movement of RNAs using pollen and its application to genetic modification

Researcher

Kazuki Motomura

Outline

In this research, I focus on the RNAs that move from one cell to another cell and the proteins that regulate their RNA movement using pollen. I analyze whether these proteins are involved in the intercellular RNA movement in vegetative tissues also. In addition, I will develop a new technology of genetic modification that can be applied to many seed plants including crops, via the intercellular delivery of RNAs into sperm cells.

Takahiro Mori

Engineering of plant secondary metabolite enzymes and conbinatorial biosynthesis of unnatural novel compounds.

Researcher

Takahiro Mori

Outline

Due to their structural complexity and biological activity, secondary metabolites produced by plants have played important roles in the development of biotechnological and pharmaceutical industry. In this project, the structures of key enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of plant secondary metabolites will be analyzed by X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. In parallel, the function of these enzymes will be engineered with structure-guided and directed evolution approaches to generate unnatural novel compounds. Furthermore, I will also attempt to establish efficient production systems by localizing biosynthetic enzymes in microorganisms and plants.