Research

Group of Plant Molecular Physiology

Faculty staff

			Professor Dr. Maki KATSUHARA E-mail： kmakiATokayama-u.ac.jp	_{^{(please change AT to @ before sending)}}
			Assoc. Prof. Dr. Takayuki SASAKI E-mail： tsasakiATokayama-u.ac.jp	_{^{(please change AT to @ before sending)}}
			Assist. Prof. Dr. Shigeko UTSUGI E-mail： utsugATokayama-u.ac.jp	_{^{(please change AT to @ before sending)}}

Lectures: Physiology of Environmental Responses, Plant Physiology and Function
Keywords: Aquaporins; Salt stress; Water transport; Aluminum stress; Malate transporter; Acidic soil

Summary of main research topics

Physiological and molecular analysis of plant membrane transporters
We study the molecular functions of plant cells and biomembranes in response to drought and salt stress environments, especially water channels (aquaporins) and cation channels. In addition to water transport, we are investigating another aquaporin function transporting low molecular-weight compounds including CO₂. Electrophysiological measurements are also conducted to analyze sodium and potassium transporters in a salt stress condition.
We cloned the aluminum-tolerant wheat gene ALMT1, which is a highly promising gene to confer acid-soil tolerance on crops. The ALMT1 gene belongs to the ALMT gene family, which has been found only in the plant kingdom. We expect to elucidate unique plant functions coded by individual ALMT genes.

（1）且原真木　第2 章植物の構造と水，植物栄養素の輸送 2. 水ポテンシャルと水の吸収. 植物栄養学第3 版文永堂出版（馬建鋒・信濃卓郎・高野順平編）pp. 37-42. ISBN 978-4-8300-4145-7 (2024. 7.)
（2）小山博之・佐々木孝行　第7 章植物の有害元素 1. アルミニウム．植物栄養学第 3版文永堂出版（馬建鋒・信濃卓郎・高野順平編） pp. 219-232. ISBN 978-4-8300-4145-7 (2024. 7.)
（3） Tazawa M, Wayne R, Katsuhara M. Analysis of the effect of permeant solutes on the hydraulic resistance of the plasma membrane in cells of Chara coralline. Protoplasma doi.org/10.1007/s00709-024-02000-6 (2024. 10. Online preview)