Symposia

S01 RNA-mediated plant behaviors

9:30-12:30, March 28 (Wednesday), 2018
Room A
Organizers: Yukio Kurihara(RIKEN)、Misato Ohtani (NAIST)

Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) are central players in plant biological processes such as development, environmental response and circadian rhythm regulation. With recent innovation of genome-wide analytical methodologies, the certain kinds of RNA molecules, including small RNAs and long non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), have been implicated in the regulation of plant physiological events in different ways. This symposium with four domestic speakers and two invited oversea speakers (Profs. Nam-Hai Chua and Yan Guo) will present the latest research topics of RNA-mediated plant biological processes, to discuss a future direction of plant RNA biology.
Transcripts derived from downstream TSSs evade uORF-mediated mRNA decay and translation inhibition
Yukio Kurihara (RIKEN)
Functions of noncoding RNAs in biotic and abiotic stress adaptation
Nam-Hai Chua (Rockefeller Univ.)
Biogenesis mechanism and function of stress-inducible non-coding antisense RNAs
Motoaki Seki (RIKEN)
Regulation of plant salt tolerance by 14-3-3 proteins and their interacting protein kinases
Yan Guo (China Agricultural Univ.)
Physiological events regulated by AtCCR4a/b deadenylases, components of the CCR4-NOT complex in Arabidopsis
Yukako Chiba (Hokkaido Univ.)
snRNA cap hypermethylation: a new key regulatory step of gene expression for plant development and environmental response
Misato Ohtani (NAIST)

S02 Optimum Photosynthetic Evolution :

Lessons from the Evolution of C4 Photosynthesis and the Response to CO2/O2 in Plants

9:30-12:30, March 28 (Wednesday), 2018
Room B
Organizers: Kentaro Ifuku (Kyoto Univ.), Hiroshi Fukayama (Kobe Univ.), Chikahiro Miyake (Kobe Univ.)

C4 plants evolved from C3 plants and acquired C4 photosynthetic system to reduce energy wasteful photorespiration. However, the atmospheric CO2 concentration is increasing recently, that will naturally reduce the photorespiration and stimulate plant growth in the future. Thus, the need to the system reducing the photorespiration have decreased. On the other hand, the photorespiration is an important photoprotective mechanism for photosynthesis, acting as an electron sink. Thus, as well as reducing the photorespiration, the introduction of alternative electron sink such as the enhancement of carboxylation capacity would be necessary for optimum photosynthesis. Recently, it was found that the photosynthetic electron transport is not operative under the conditions around CO2 compensation point in C4 plants. This result implies that C4 plants should be more susceptible to photoinhibition than C3 plants. How C4 plants dissipate excess light energy under low CO2/O2 condition? Answer of this question will provide us useful information regarding the development of oxidative stress resistant plants in the future environment where the photorespiration is suppressed by elevated CO2. In this symposium, the optimum photosynthetic evolution for future environment will be discussed in the context of the evolution of C4 plants and the response to CO2/O2 in Plants.
Natural Evolution of C4 Photosynthesis As A Guide For Improving C4 Plant Performance
Rowan F. Sage (Univ. of Toronto)
Introduction of C4-like enzymic properties and nitrogen distribution of Rubisco into C3 plant, rice
Hiroshi Fukayama (Kobe Univ.)
The role of PSI-cyclic electron flow mediated by NAD(P)H dehydorogenase in C4 photosynthesis.
Tsuyoshi Endo (Kyoto Univ.)
Overexpression of PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 in a C4 plant, Flaveria
Youshi Tazoe (Tohoku Univ.)
Strategies to alleviate the potential risk of photosynthesis: P700 oxidation is regulated by the redox state of plastoquinone pool in C3 and C4 plant leaves
Ginga Shimakawa and Chikahiro Miyake (Kobe Univ.)
PSI-NPQ in higher plants
Makio Yokono (Nippon flour Mills Co.,LTD.)

S03 Amazing Development - Unrevealing unusual developmental phenomena in plants -

14:00-17:00, March 28 (Wednesday), 2018
Room A
Organizers: Seisuke Kimura (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.), Taiyo Toriba (Tohoku Univ.)

There are about 300,000 of known/recorded plant species and these plants are adapted to a variety of environments on earth. In the long history of evolution, some plants have diversified their developmental processes and regulated them for adaptation.
In recent years, the rapid progress of molecular biological techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, has enabled us to investigate non-model plant species at the molecular level. It is expected that recent research would accelerate the elucidation of novel biological phenomena and plant evolution.

In this symposium, we provide cutting-edge research talks from international speakers. They study unusual developmental phenomena of particular plants, such as parasitic, aquatic, unifoliate (single-leaf), and rhizomatous plants as well as plant galls. Through these talks, we will share our understanding of a wide range of plant development and have opportunities to discuss the future of plant developmental research
Development Ab-GALFA method, a novel assay method for analyzing molecular mechanisms underlying the gall formation process using a model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana
Masahiko Sato (Kyoto Pref. Univ.)
An aquatic plant Callitriche palustris: its dimorphic nature of leaf development, and potentials as a modern experimental plant
Hiroyuki Koga (Tokyo Univ.)
Adaptation of plants to aquatic environments: Studies on vegetative propagation in semi-aquatic plant, Rorippa aquatica
Seisuke Kimura (Kyoto Sangyo Univ.)
Insight into strategies for plant-plant parasitism in Cuscuta campestris based on genome sequencing.
Kazuhiko Nishitani (Tohoku Univ.)
Recent progress in one-leaf plant studies; searching for meristem regulatory factors in their genomes
Kanae Nishii (Royal Botanic Garden Ediinburgh)
Shoot branching and development under the ground - Studies on rhizome formation in a wild rice species, Oryza longistaminata -
Taiyo Toriba (Tohoku Univ.)

S04 New trends of plant reproduction emerging from cell biological approaches.

14:00-17:00, March 28 (Wednesday), 2018
Room B
Organizers: Daisuke Maruyama (Yokohama City Univ.), Kazuo Ebine (NIBB)

Plant reproduction is consisting of various dynamic events including asymmetric cell division, growth of pollen tube, cell-to-cell fusion, and migration and fusion of male and female nuclei. Even today, molecular mechanisms underlying in these events remain largely unknown. In addition, generality and diversity of mechanisms regulating reproductive systems in plant lineage is mysterious. With a support of “The Birth of new plant species”, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, this symposium selected speakers who challenge the dynamics of plant reproduction from cell biological approaches by utilizing model plants.
Membrane trafficking mechanism regulating plant gametogenesis
Kazuo Ebine (NIBB/ SOKENDAI)
Cytoskeltons in spermatogenesis of bryophytes
Masaki Shimamura (Hiroshima Univ.)
Reactive oxygen species, autophagy and programmed cell death in plant reproduction
Kazuyuki Kuchitsu (Tokyo Univ. of Science)
Analysis of the structure surrounding the egg cell in Arabidopsis thaliana.
Daichi Susaki (Yokohama City Univ.)
Study on molecular players regulating male and female gamete interaction during double fertilization.
Tomoko Igawa (Chiba Univ.)
Intracellular dynamics controlling Arabidopsis zygote polarization
Yusuke Kimata (Nagoya Univ.)
Cellular dynamics in Arabidopsis fertilization
Tomokazu Kawashima (Univ. of Kentucky)

S05 Maintenance of stem-ness and cell fate determination in plants and animals

9:30-12:30, March 28 (Thursday), 2018
Room A
Organizers: Tomomi Tsubouchi (NIBB), Makoto Hayashi (RIKEN)

Plants maintain pluripotent stem cells throughout their lifecycle, while pluripotent stem cells are lost in animals early during development. Such difference greatly affects their body plans and survival strategies. Comparison between plants and animals has recently become possible especially through studies of genome dynamics in various species. On the other hand, limited number of animal species do hold capacity to regenerate their tissue, which is a widely-shared feature in plants, suggesting potential commonalities in fate determination of stem cells in such animal species.
Here in this symposium, we aim to focus on the most fundamental and essential question of “what is the determinant of stem-ness and cell differentiation?”, in the multifaceted discussion with young researchers at the frontline of stem cell research.
Genome Maintenance Mechanisms in Mammalian Pluripotent Stem Cells
Tomomi Tsubouchi (National Institute for Basic Biology)
Single-cell DNA replication timing profiling and the 3D genome organization dynamics during stem cell differentiation
Ichiro Hiratani (RIKEN)
Induction of regeneration callus (blastema) in ANIMALS
Akira Satoh (Okayama Univ.)
Control of Chromatin Structure along Differentiation Trajectories
Hirotomo Takatsuka (Nara Institute of Science and Technology)
The formation of tuberous roots by activation of stem cell proliferation in Arabidopsis thaliana
Takuya Sakamoto (Tokyo Univ. of Science)
The seasonal measurement mechanism that regulates the floral transition in Arabidopsis
Takato Imaizumi (Univ. of Washington)
Florigen distribution in the shoot apical meristem during the early phase of reproductive transition
Hiroyuki Tsuji (Yokohama City Univ.)

S06 Stories of oxygen and active molecular species in photosynthetic organisms

9:30-12:30, March 28 (Thursday), 2018
Room B
Organizers: Yuichi Fujita (Nagoya Univ.), Kazuyuki Kuchitsu (Tokyo Univ. of Science)

Oxygen and reactive molecular species have detrimental effects on cells. On the other hand, oxygen had promoted the evolution of simple organisms toward more complex organisms by more abundant energy obtained by aerobic respiration, resulting in the current diverse ecosystem. We organized this symposium to deepen our understanding of survival strategy of photosynthetic organisms using oxygen and reactive molecular species, which includes 1. Active production of dangerous molecules such as reactive oxygen species and their use for signaling, 2. Sensing of reactive molecular species, 3. Use of reactive molecular species for lignin biosynthesis, and 4. Coexistence of oxygen-vulnerable enzyme and oxygenic photosynthesis. Six researchers including two foreign researchers will give a lecture on their cutting-edge studies. This will be also held as an international symposium sponsored by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, “Oxygen Biology: A New Creation of Integrated Understanding of Life”.
Mechanisms to control the Oxygen Paradox between photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation
Yuichi Fujita (Nagoya Univ.)
Multiple roles of ROS-generating enzymes, MpRbohA and MpRbohB, in growth, development and stress responses in Marchantia polymorpha.
Kenji Hashimoto (Tokyo Univ. of Science)
Plant immune MAPK-WRKY phosphorylation pathway regulates NADPH oxidase and chloroplast-mediated ROS bursts
Hirofumi Yoshioka (Nagoya Univ.)
Cellular precision for cell surface integrity and plant fitness
Yuree Lee (DGIST)
The role of reactive oxygen species in receptor-like kinase signaling
Michael Wrzaczek (Univ. of Helsinki)
Mechanism for H2S and reactive-sulfur-species recognition in cells
Shinji Masuda (Tokyo Inst. Tech.)

S07 Cellular survival strategy by autophagy and ubiquitin systems

13:30-16:30, March 29 (Thursday), 2018
Room A
Organizers: Takeo Sato (Hokkaido University), Kohki Yoshimoto (Meiji University)

The Nobel Prizes in 2016 and 2004 were awarded to the discoveries of the autophagy and ubiquitin systems, respectively. These two systems play fundamental roles in the degradation of cellular components in eukaryotic cells and have been recognized to execute non-selective and selective protein degradation, respectively. However, recent findings revealed an interplay between these systems in which ubiquitin not only targets proteins for proteasomal degradation but also triggers selective autophagy of specific proteins and damaged organelles such as mitochondria, and peroxisomes. In this symposium, we invite leading researchers in the field of autophagy and ubiquitin and will showcase the cutting-edge research in plants as well as yeast and mammals. We will also explore new insights in the cellular strategy of survival by autophagy and ubiquitin systems.
Quality control of leaf peroxisomes via selective autophagy in plants
Kohki Yoshimoto (Meiji Univ.)
Chlorophagy: Selective Elimination of Damaged Chloroplasts
Masanori Izumi (Tohoku Univ.)
Modulation of membrane trafficking by ubiquitin signal in plant response to environmental stresses
Takeo Sato (Hokkaido Univ.)
Ubiquitination and degradation of a borate transporter AtBOR1 dependent on the transport activity
Junpei Takano (Osaka Prefecture Univ.)
Ubiquitin phosphorylation as a signal for mitophagy
Noriyuki Matsuda (Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science)
Lessons from Yeast - a Cellular Recycling System
Yoshinori Ohsumi (Tokyo Inst. Tech.)

S08 Plant Chemical Biology

9:00-12:00, March 30 (Friday), 2018
Room A
Organizers: Naoyuki Uchida (Nagoya Univ.), Norihito Nakamichi (Nagoya Univ.)

The number of researchers who are interested in chemical biology has been increasing in the plant biology field, and it is expected that chemical biology will develop into one of major trends in plant science. This symposium will introduce several hot topics/methodologies of plant chemical biology, including chemical screening, chemical genetics, rational modification/development of compounds, strategies toward applied research, and integration with synthetic biology. The goal of this symposium is to facilitate further penetration of plant chemical biology into the JSPP society and also to inspire new ideas in the symposium audience.
A bump-and-hole strategy toward freehand manipulation of plant hormone signaling
Naoyuki Uchida (Nagoya Univ.)
Development and utilization of small molecules that control abscisic acid action
Masanori Okamoto (Utsunomiya Univ.)
Chemical regulation of strigolactone functions by targeting its receptors
Hidemitsu Nakamura (The Univ. Tokyo)
To understand complexity of rubber biosynthesis by chemical genetics
Emiko Okubo-Kurihara (RIKEN)
Chemical biology approach without chemical application
Yoshiteru Noutoshi (Okayama Univ.)
Transformative Bio-molecules for controlling biological time
Norihito Nakamichi (Nagoya Univ.)

S09 New Development of Ribosome and Translational Regulation Research in Plants

9:00-12:00, March 30 (Friday), 2018
Room B
Organizers: Toru Fujiwara (The Univ. of Tokyo), Munetaka Sugiyama (The Univ. of Tokyo)

Translation is an important step in gene expression and affects a number of biological phenomea in plants. Along with the recent development of analytical techniques, new findings have been obtained on the structure and function of ribosomes, the functions of proteins constituting ribosomes, the control of translation, etc. Moreover, with the ribosome profiling method, analysis at the genome level of translation control became possible. In this symposium, with the forefront researchers in Japan and abroad, we discuss new development and future direction of the research in translation.
A Critical Role of the NAC transcription Factor ANAC082 in Ribosomal Stress Signaling of Plant Cells
Iwai Ohbayashi (Fujian Agriculture and Forestry Univ.)
A quartet of NAC transcription factor genes is upregulated in response to abnormal ribosomal proteins and enhances leaf abaxialization in asymmetric leaves2
Gorou Horiguchi (Rikkyo University)
Sucrose sensing through nascent peptide-meditated ribosome stalling in Arabidopsis bZIP11 uORF2
Yui Yamashita (Hokkaido Univ.)
Roles of translational regulation in nutrient-response in plants
Toru Fujiwara (The Univ. of Tokyo)
MicroRNA-Mediated Ribosome Stalling
Hiro-oki Iwakawa (University of Tokyo)
Structure and resistance of an mRNA-selective natural translation inhibitor from Aglaia plant
Shintaro Iwasaki (RIKEN)
Translational regulation of plant hormone responses
Jose Alonso (North Carolina State Univ.)

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