The 12th Lunch Seminar

Dr. Yuki Yasumura

Lunch Seminar

Date and time: Tuesday, April 28th, from 12h20.

Place: Faculty of Science Conference Room (Science Building 3, Room 207-209)

Speaker: Yuki Yasumura (Biology)

Title: Molecular mechanisms that underlie the adaptive evolution of land plants

Abstract:
As plants cannot walk away from stressful environment, plants have evolved a diverse range of adaptive responses to survive stressful conditions. Understanding the mechanisms that regulate plant adaptive responses would be essential in improving agriculture in face of global climate change. The aim of my research is to identify molecular mechanisms that have contributed to the adaptive evolution of land plants, focusing on water-related stress, such as drought and flood in particular.

Plants produce signaling substances including ethylene and ABA, which inform plants of water availability to regulate growth and metabolism adaptively to the environment. This system has an ancient origin as it is thought to have originated before or soon after land colonization by plants over 4.5 million years ago. While the basic regulatory system is conserved in all land plants, the system appeared to have undergone changes and modifications during evolution. We are hoping to clarify how such modifications may have contributed to the diversification of adaptive responses and plant evolution.