Nonomura Group • Plant Cytogenetics Laboratory
Molecular cytogenetics in regulatory mechanisms of plant reproductive development
Faculty
▶ Lab HP
Research Summary
Meiosis is a special cell division that halves the chromosome number for fertilization and stably transmits genetic information to offspring. It also creates genetic diversity through meiotic recombination, which is utilized for the crossbreeding of animals and plants. We aim to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that control plant reproductive development including meiosis.
Furthermore, we support plant researches through preservation, provision, and contract cultivation of Gramineae genetic resources, including wild rice relatives and experimental cultivated rice strains, in use of the plant cultivation facilities in NIG.
Callose, a cell wall component, is highly accumulated in premeiotic anthers of many flowering plants, while its biological function was unknown. Analysis using the rice mutant of OsGSL5 callose synthase revealed that premeiotic callose accumulation plays an essential role in initiation and progression of male meiosis (Results in Selected publication 1).
Selected Publications
Somashekar H, Mimura M, Tsuda K, Nonomura KI. Rice GLUCAN SYNTHASE-LIKE5 promotes anther callose deposition to maintain meiosis initiation and progression. Plant Physiol. 2023 Jan 2;191(1):400-413.
Tsuda K, Suzuki T, Mimura M, Nonomura KI. Comparison of constitutive promoter activities and development of maize ubiquitin promoter- and Gateway-based binary vectors for rice. Plant Biotechnol (Tokyo). 2022 Jun 25;39(2):139-146.
Ishikawa R, Castillo CC, Htun TM, Numaguchi K, Inoue K, Oka Y, Ogasawara M, Sugiyama S, Takama N, Orn C, Inoue C, Nonomura KI, Allaby R, Fuller DQ, Ishii T. A stepwise route to domesticate rice by controlling seed shattering and panicle shape. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022 Jun 28;119(26):e2121692119.
Ono S, Liu H, Tsuda K, Fukai E, Tanaka K, Sasaki T, Nonomura KI. EAT1 transcription factor, a non-cell-autonomous regulator of pollen production, activates meiotic small RNA biogenesis in rice anther tapetum. PLoS Genet. 2018 Feb 12;14(2):e1007238. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007238. Erratum in: PLoS Genet. 2019 Mar 6;15(3):e1008033.
