Japan-France Joint Study on Development in Higher Plants

本项目在3年的时间里，分别有16名日本研究员和3名法国研究员访问了每个国家，并完成了以下联合研究员。植物激素代谢：利用法国获得的多种拟南芥突变体，新分离出了生长素和脱落酸（ABA）合成的介导基因。2. 胚胎发生及基因表达调控：利用在法国分离到的介导胚胎特异性ABA信号转导的转录因子，从胡萝卜中分离到一个同源基因。我们制作了同源基因过表达的转基因植物和细胞，并对其进行了表征。我们成功鉴定了部分受转录因子调控表达的基因，进一步阐明了转录因子和下调基因参与了干燥耐受性的获得。另一方面，利用法国制备的胡萝卜钙调素结合蛋白抗体，鉴定了胡萝卜体细胞胚胎发生过程中钙调素结合蛋白模式的变化。3. 花的分化和性：日本研究人员在花诱导光周期处理后，分离出一个刚检测到表达的Pharbitis基因，并将其DNA序列与已知基因进行比较，发现该基因与法国拟南芥种子EST克隆中分离出的一个基因有很强的相似性。通过交换在日本和法国获得的基因信息，我们对基因的生理功能和表达特征进行了比较，最终明确了基因家族的总体图像。此外，利用日本的大麻和法国的Melandryum，我们成功地分离和表征了这两种植物的部分性染色体。4. 细胞分裂：促进植物细胞分裂的新型多肽生长因子的研究，开辟了植物细胞分裂的新领域。1997年秋，日法“植物生理学和植物分子生物学”研讨会在筑波市举行。在研讨会上，日本和法国的研究人员介绍了他们在这项合作工作中取得的成果，并充分讨论了研究和未来的合作。少

During 3 years of this project, 16 Japanese and 3 French researchers visited each country, and the following joint-researchers have been done.1. Metabolism of Phytohormones : Using various Arabidopsis mutants obtained in France, genes mediating the synthesis of auxin and abscisic acid (ABA) were newly isolated. 2. Embryogenesis and Regulation of Gene Expression : Using a transcription factor mediating embryo-specific ABA signal transduction which was isolated in France, a homologous gene of carrot was isolated. We made transgenic plants and cells in which the homologue was over-expressed and characterized it. We succeeded to identify some genes of which the expresson was controlled by the transcription factor, and moreover, it was clarified that the transcription factor and the down-regulated genes are involving in the acquisition of desiccattion tolerance. On the other hand, using the antibody against calmodulin-binding proteins in carrot which was prepared in France, the cahnge of th … More e protein patterns during carrot somatic embryogenesis was identified. 3. Flower Differentiation and Sexuality : When Japanese researchers isolated a Pharbitis gene of which the expression was detected just after the flower-inductive photoperiodic treatment and compared the DNA sequence to known genes, it was found that the gene shows strong similarity to one of the genes which were isolated as EST clones in Arabidopsis seeds in France. By exchange of the informations of the genes obtained in Japan and France, we conducted to compare the physiological functions of the genes and the characteristics of the expression and finally the overall images of the gene family was clarified. Furthermore, using Cannabis in Japan and Melandryum in France, we succeeded to isolate and characterize a part of sex chromosomes in both plants. 4. Cell Division : Studies on new peptide growth factors stimulating plant cell division have been proceeded, and a new aspect of cell division in plants was opened.The Japan-French Workshop on "Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology" was held in Tsukuba city in the autumn of 1997. In the workshop, Japan and French Researchers concerning with this Joint-Program presented their results obtained in this co-operative work and discussed enough the research and the future collaboration. Less