Home ＞GCOE Researchers ＞Makoto MATSUOKA

GCOE Researchers

Makoto MATSUOKA

Affiliation
/Position		 Bioscience and Biotechnology Center, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Professor
Doctorate Doctor of Agriculture
Research interests Systematic breeding biology, Crop morphogenesis and molecular breeding
address makoto＠agr.nagoya-u.ac.jp
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+81-52-789-5218
  Laboratory

Outline of research

We have studied biosynthesis and signal transduction pathways of phytohormones such as gibberellin (GA), brassinosteroid (BR) and cytokinin (CK), and demonstrated a number of novel findings. We have also developed molecular breeding using phytohormone-related genes, and have succeeded in increasing the yield of rice.

  1. Clarification of GA signal transduction pathway
    We isolated a nuclear receptor for GA. This receptor interacts with a control factor, which specifically and negatively controls the GA signal transduction pathway, and is degraded by GA-dependent interaction with the receptor. We found that this degradation is dependent on ubiquitination mediated by the SCF complex.
  2. Clarification of GA biosynthesis mechanism and molecular breeding
    We characterized the mechanism of GA biosynthesis in rice. In the course of this study, we found that functional deficiency of the GA20 oxidase gene, which dwarfs rice, was the mutation responsible for the "miracle rice" used in "the Green Revolution" in the latter half of 20th century. Based on this discovery, we genetically manipulated rice to regulate plant height.
  3. Isolation of yield determining genes in rice
    We isolated a QTL gene which involves yield determination in rice, and demonstrated that the gene encodes an enzyme involving degradation of CK. Based on combination of the seed-number control gene and the Green Revolution gene designed using QTL pyramiding, we also succeeded in modifying a Japanese rice variety, "Koshihikari," that increased yield by 20% over the original strain in real fields.

References

  1. Shimada A. et al. (2008) Structural basis for gibberellin recognition by its receptor GID1. Nature, 456: 520-523.
  2. Takeda S. & Matsuoka M. (2008) Genetic approaches to crop improvement: responding to environmental and population changes. Nat. Rev. Genet., 9: 444-457.
  3. Ueguchi-Tanaka M. et al. (2008) Release of the Repressive Activity of Rice DELLA Protein SLR1 by Gibberellin Does Not Require SLR1 Degradation in the gid2 Mutant. Plant Cell, 20: 2437-2446.
  4. Hirano K. et al. (2008) Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of phytohormone biosynthesis and signaling genes in microspore/pollen and tapetum of rice. Plant Cell Physiol., 49: 1429-1450.
  5. Sakamoto T. et al. (2006) Erect leaves caused by brassinosteroid deficiency increase biomass production and grain yield in rice. Nat. Biotechnol., 24: 105-109.
  6. Ueguchi-Tanaka M. et al. (2005) GIBBERELLIN INSENSITIVE DWARF1 encodes a soluble receptor for gibberellin. Nature, 437: 693-698.
  7. Ashikari M. et al. (2005) Cytokinin oxidase regulates rice grain production. Science, 309: 741-745.
  8. Sakamoto T. et al. (2003) Genetic manipulation of gibberellin metabolism in transgenic rice. Nat. Biotechnol., 21: 909-913.
  9. Sasaki A. et al. (2003)Accumulation of phosphorylated repressor for gibberellin signaling in an F-box mutant. Science, 299: 1896-1898.
  10. Sasaki A. et al. (2002) A mutant gibberellin-synthesis gene in rice. Nature, 416: 701-702.

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