Biology subjects

Yoshitake, Y.

Publications and source records attributed to Yoshitake, Y..

5 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

A SABATH family enzyme regulates development via the gibberellin-related pathway in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

The SABATH family enzymes are a group of plant-specific methyltransferases that catalyze the methylation of many small molecules, including several plant hormones. While this family emerged anciently before the evolution of land plants from streptophyte algae, little is known about their biological function in plant lineages other than angiosperms. Here, we identified 12 SABATH family genes from the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and found that MpSABATH2 is essential for its development. Mpsabath2 mutants were severely inhibited in thallus growth and gemma cup formation, while spontaneously forming sexual branches under non-inductive conditions. These phenotypes resembled the developmental responses to far-red light, which was also supported by transcriptome analysis. Further genetic analysis connected this phenomenon with gibberellin (GA)-related metabolism. Blocking GA biosynthesis partially rescued Mpsabath2 phenotypes, which were restored by treatment with the GA precursor, ent-kaurenoic acid. Given that bryophyte and angiosperm SABATH proteins fall into distinct phylogenetic clades, our findings suggest that SABATH family enzymes independently acquired roles in developmental regulation through convergent or parallel evolution in land plants.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Evolutionarily Conserved CKI1-Mediated Two-Component Signaling is Required for Female Germline Specification in Marchantia polymorpha

In land plants, gametes derive from a small number of dedicated haploid cells. 1 In angiosperms, one central cell and one egg cell are differentiated in the embryo sac as female gametes for double fertilization, while in non-flowering plants, only one egg cell is generated in the female sexual organ, called the archegonium. 2,3 The central cell specification of Arabidopsis thaliana is controlled by the histidine kinase CYTOKININ-INDEPENDENT 1 (CKI1), which is a two-component signaling (TCS) activator sharing downstream regulatory components with the cytokinin signaling pathway. 4-7 Our phylogenetic analysis suggested that CKI1 orthologs broadly exist in land plants. However, the role of CKI1 in the archegonium-bearing non-flowering plants remains unclear. Here we found that the sole CKI1 ortholog in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, MpCKI1, which functions through conserved downstream TCS components, regulates the female germline specification for egg cell development in the archegonium. In M. polymorpha, the archegonium develops three-dimensionally from a single cell, accumulating MpBONOBO (MpBNB), a master regulator for germline initiation and differentiation. 8 We visualized female germline specification by capturing the distribution pattern of MpBNB in the discrete stages of early archegonium development, and found that the MpBNB accumulation is restricted to female germline cells. MpCKI1 is required for the proper MpBNB accumulation in the female germline, and is critical for the asymmetric cell divisions that specify the female germline cells. These results suggest that CKI1-mediated TCS originated during early land plant evolution and participates in female germ cell specification in deeply-diverged plant lineages.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Biosynthesis of gibberellin-related compounds modulates far-red light responses in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

The phytohormone gibberellins (GAs) are key regulators of growth, development and environmental responses in angiosperms. From an evolutionary perspective, all major steps of GA biosynthesis are conserved among vascular plants, while GA biosynthetic intermediates such as ent-kaurenoic acid (KA) are also produced by bryophytes. Here we show that in the liverwort Marchantia polymorpha, KA and GA12 are synthesized by evolutionarily conserved enzymes, which are required for developmental responses to far-red light (FR). Under FR-enriched conditions, mutants of various biosynthesis enzymes consistently altered thallus growth allometry, delayed the initiation of gametogenesis, and affected the morphology of gamete-bearing structures (gametangiophores). By chemical treatments and LC-MS/MS analyses, we confirmed these phenotypes were caused by deficiency of some GA-related compounds derived from KA, but not bioactive GAs from vascular plants. Transcriptome analysis showed that FR enrichment induced the up-regulation of genes related to stress responses and secondary metabolism in M. polymorpha, which was largely dependent on the biosynthesis of GA-related compounds. Due to the lack of the canonical GA receptors in bryophytes, we hypothesize that GA-related compounds are commonly synthesized in land plants but co-opted independently to regulate responses to light quality change in different lineages during the past 450 million years of evolution.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2023

Overexpression of NIMA-related kinase suppresses cell proliferation and tip growth in a liverwort Marchantia polymorpha

NIMA-related kinases (NEKs) regulate a series of mitotic events in fungi and animals, whereas plant NEKs regulate growth direction of cells and organs. The liverwort Marchantia polymorpha has a single functional MpNEK1 gene, whose knockout leads to twisted growth of rhizoids. MpNEK1 is also expressed in the meristem of vegetative flat organ, thallus, while its function remains unknown. Here, we generated transgenic lines for the inducible expression of MpNEK1 using an estrogen receptor mediated system. Estradiol treatment efficiently induced the accumulation of MpNEK1 mRNA and MpNEK1-Citrine fusion protein throughout plant body. Overexpression of MpNEK1 severely suppressed growth of rhizoids and thalli, eventually causing the lethality of juvenile plants. The effect of estradiol was reversible until 3 days, whereas 7-days treatment resulted in irreversible suppression of growth. This severe effect was observed even at the nanomolar level of estradiol. EdU staining and microtubule imaging clearly indicated the suppression of cell proliferation by estradiol-induced MpNEK1. Unexpectedly, the overexpression of kinase-deficient MpNEK1 also suppressed thallus growth and rhizoid formation, despite their slightly mild effect than the full length MpNEK1, indicating phosphorylation-independent mechanism of growth suppression. In conclusion, overexpression of MpNEK1 suppresses cell division and elongation, leading to growth cessation and lethality. Our results imply that the expression of MpNEK1 is tightly regulated and plant NEKs might control cell division as in fungi and animals.

plant biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Design principles of a minimal auxin response system

Auxin controls numerous growth processes in land plants through a gene expression system that modulates ARF transcription factor activity1-3. Gene duplications in families encoding auxin response components have generated tremendous complexity in most land plants, and neofunctionalization enabled various unique response outputs during development2-4. However, it is unclear what fundamental biochemical principles underlie this complex response system. By studying the minimal system in Marchantia polymorpha, we derive an intuitive and simple model where a single auxin-dependent A-ARF activates gene expression. It is antagonized by an auxin-independent B-ARF that represses common target genes. Expression patterns of both ARF proteins define developmental zones where auxin response is permitted, quantitatively tuned, or prevented. This fundamental design likely represents the ancestral system, and formed the basis for inflated, complex systems.

plant biology↗