Dormancy and Adaptation Research Unit

Our unit studies the mechanisms that regulate plant adaptation responses such as seed dormancy, germination and stress responses. We will reveal how biosynthesis and transport of plant hormones such as abscisic acid, gibberellin and jasmonates are regulated. We will optimize plant adaptation responses by genetic and chemical regulation of hormone transport and biosynthesis.

Research Fields

Biology & Biochemistry / Molecular Biology & Genetics / Agricultural Sciences / Plant & Animal Science

Research Subjects

• Identification and functional characterization of plant hormone transporters
• Elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate hormone biosynthesis
• Identification of the factors that regulate seed dormancy and germination

Publications

1. Nakabayashi, K., Bartsch, M., Xiang, Y., Miatton, E., Pellengahr, S., Yano, R., Seo, M. and Soppe, W.J.:
   "The time required for dormancy release in Arabidopsis is determined by DELAY OF GERMINATION protein levels in freshly harvested seeds"
   Plant Cell 24, 2826-2838 (2012).
2. Kanno, Y., Hanada, A., Chiba, Y., Ichikawa, T., Nakazawa, M., Matsui, M., Koshiba, T., Kamiya, Y. and Seo, M.:
   "Identidication of an abscisic acid transporter by functional screening using the receptor complex as a sensor"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 109, 9653-9658 (2012).
3. Plackett, A.R.G., Powers, S., Fernandez-Garcia, N.M., Urbanova, T., Takebayashi, Y., Seo, M., Jikumaru, Y., Benlloch, R., Nilsson, O., Ruiz Rivero, O.J., Phillips, A.L., Wilson, Z.A., Thomas, S.G. and Hedden, P.:
   "Analysis of the developmental roles of the Arabidopsis gibberellin 20-oxidases demonstrates that AtGA20ox1, -2 and -3 are the dominant paralogues"
   Plant Cell 24, 941-960 (2012).
4. Frey, A., Effroy, D., Lefebbre, V., Seo, M., Perreau, F., Berger, A., Sechet, J., To, A., North, H. and Marion-Poll, A.:
   "Epoxycarotenoid cleavage by NCED5 fine-tunes ABA accumulation and affects seed dormancy and drought tolerance with other NCED family members"
   Plant J. 70, 501-512 (2012).
5. Seo, M., Jikumaru, Y. and Kamiya, Y.:
   "Profiling of hormones and related metabolites in seed dormancy and germination studies"
   Methods. Mol. Biol. 773, 99-111 (2011).
6. Seo, M. and Koshiba, T.:
   "Transport of ABA from the site of biosynthesis to the site of action"
   J. Plant Res. 124, 501-507 (2011).
7. Lackman, P., González-Guzmán, M., Tilleman, S., Carqueijeiro, I., Pérez, A.C., Moses, T., Seo, M., Kanno, Y., Häkkinen, S.T., Van Montagu, M.C., Thevelein, J.M., Maaheimo, H., Oksman-Caldentey, K.M., Rodriguez, P.L., Rischer, H. and Goossens, A.:
   "Jasmonate signaling involves the abscisic acid receptor PYL4 to regulate metabolic reprogramming in Arabidopsis and tobacco"
   Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 108, 5891-5896 (2011).
8. Kanno, Y., Jikumaru, Y., Hanada, A., Nambara, E., Abrams, S.R., Kamiya, Y. and Seo, M.:
   "Comprehensive hormone profiling in developing Arabidopsis seeds: examination of the site of ABA biosynthesis, ABA transport and hormone interactions"
   Plant Cell Physiol. 51, 1988-2001 (2010).
9. Nambara, E., Okamoto, M., Tatematsu, K., Yano, R., Seo, M. and Kaimya, Y.:
   "Abscisic acid and the control of seed dormancy and germination"
   Seed Sci. Res. 20, 55-67 (2010).
10. Seo, M., Nambara, E., Choi, G. and Yamaguchi, S.:
    "Interaction of light and hormone signals in germinating seeds"
    Plant Mol. Biol. 69, 463-472 (2009).