Whole plant rebirth after wounding

November 22, 2019

Elucidating the vegetative propagation mechanism using leaf fragments

Many plant species have a higher regenerative capacity, and some plants can reproduce asexually by cloning themselves in a process known as vegetative propagation. This characteristic has long been used in horticulture to grow plants from cuttings–for example, the Japanese cherry blossom tree ‘Somei-yoshino’—but the mechanisms of vegetative propagation have remained largely unknown.

A collaborative research group of researchers from Kyoto Sangyo University, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Gakugei University, RIKEN CSRS and Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology has elucidated the mechanism of vegetative propagation in the aquatic plant Rorippa aquatica (North American lake cress). This plant can clone itself from leaf fragments in nature. Researchers determined that the basis for vegetative propagation of the plant comes from the action of three hormones that control plant growth, namely auxin, cytokinin and gibberellin.

The findings are expected to lead to methods for propagating plants that are recalcitrant to regeneration, in addition to deepening understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the high regenerative capacity of plants.

Original article

Plant and Cell Physiology doi:10.1093/pcp/pcz202

R. Amano, H. Nakayama, R. Momoi, E. Omata, S. Gunji, Y. Takebayashi, M. Kojima, S. Ikematsu, M. Ikeuchi, A. Iwase, T. Sakamoto, H. Kasahara, H. Sakakibara, A. Ferjani, S. Kimura,

"Molecular basis for natural vegetative propagation via regeneration in North American lake cress, Rorippa aquatica (Brassicaceae)".

Contact

Akira Iwase

Research Scientist

Cell Function Research Team