GO TOP

Field

Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences :
Biological Dynamics

Research

Associate Professor FUJII Nobuharu
Campus Katahira campus
Laboratory Plant Sensory and Developmental Biology
Tel +81-22-217-5717
E-mail nobuharu.fujii.b7@tohoku.ac.jp
Website http://www.ige.tohoku.ac.jp/tekio/
Career

I graduated from the School of Biology of Tsukuba University, completed the Master’s program in Environmental Sciences of the Tsukuba University, and then obtained a doctorate degree (Ph.D., Science) from the Graduate School of Science of The University of Tokyo. When I worked as an assistant at the Institute of Genetic Ecology in Tohoku University, I visited the Department of Biochemistry in University of Missouri as Overseas Research Scholars (1999 – 2000). In 2001, I became an associate professor at the Graduate School of Life Sciences in Tohoku University.

Selected Publications

Yamazaki C, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2013) The role of auxin transport and distribution in plant gravimorphogenesis. In Polar Auxin Transport (eds by R. Chen, F. Baluska) Springer pp. 179- 199

Watanabe C, Fujii N, Yanai K, Hotta T, Kim D-H, Kamada M, Sasagawa-Saito Y, Nishimura T, Koshiba T, Miyazawa Y, Kim K-M, Takahashi H (2012) Gravistimulation changes the accumulation pattern of the CsPIN1 auxin efflux facilitator in the endodermis of the transition zone in cucumber seedlings. Plant Physiology 158: 239-251

Saito Y, Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2005) Possible involvement of CS-ACS1 and ethylene in auxin-induced peg formation of cucumber seedlings. Ann Bot. 95 (3): 413-422.

Sasagawa-Saito Y, Kitazawa D, Miyazawa Y, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2010) Differential accumulation of CsARF5 protein during peg formation in cucumber seedlings. Biological Sciences in Space 24: 153-162

Takahashi H, Miyazawa Y, Fujii N (2009) Hormonal interactions during root tropic growth: hydrotropism versus gravitropism. Plant Molecular Biology 69: 489-502

Saito Y, Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Hagen G, Guilfoyle T, Takahashi H (2004) Isolation of cucumber CsARF cDNAs and expression of the corresponding mRNAs during gravity-regulated morphogenesis of cucumber seedlings. The Journal of Experimental Botany 55 (401): 1315-1323.

Shimizu M, Miyazawa Y, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2008) p-Chlorophenoxyisobutyric acid impairs auxin response for gravity-regulated peg formation in cucumber seedlings. Journal of Plant Research 121: 107-114

Kitazawa D, Miyazawa Y, Fujii N. Nitasaka E, Takahashi H (2008) Characterization of a novel gravitropic mutant of morning glory, weeping2. Advances in Space Research 42: 1050-1059

Saito S, Fujii N, Miyazawa Y, Yamasaki S, Matsuura S, Mizusawa H, Fujita Y, Takahashi H (2007) Correlation between development of female flower buds and expression of the CS-ACS2 gene in cucumber plants. Journal of Experimental Botany 58: 2897-2907

Kamada M, Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Higashitani A, Takahashi H (2003) Gravity-induced modification of auxin transport and distribution for peg formation in cucumber seedlings: possible roles for CS-AUX1 and CS-PIN1. Planta 218: 15-26.

Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2003) Characterization of ethylene effects on sex determination in cucumber plants. Sexual Plant Reproduction 44 (2): 103-111.

Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Takahashi H (2003) Photoperiodic regulation of CS-ACS2, CS-ACS4 and CS-ERS gene expression contributes to the femaleness of cucumber flowers through diurnal ethylene production under short-day conditions. Plant, Cell and Environment. 26 (4): 537-546.

Mizuno H, Kobayashi A, Fujii N, Yamashita M, Takahashi H (2002) Hydrotropic response and expression pattern of auxin-inducible gene, CS-IAA1, in the primary roots of clinorotated cucumber seedlings. Plant Cell Physiol. 43 (7): 793-801.

Yamasaki S, Fujii N, Matsuura S, Mizusawa H, Takahashi H (2001) The M locus and ethylene control sex determination in andromonoecious cucumber plants. Plant Cell Physiol. 42 (6): 608-619.

Activities in Academic Societies

Japanese Society for Biological Sciences in Space, The Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists, The Botanical Society of Japan, Tohoku Botanical Society

Teaching

Joint Lecture on Cell Biology, Specialized Lecture on Space Biology, Biology B

Recent Activities

Asymmetric accumulation of CsIAA1 mRNA of the auxin inducible gene when peg formation was initiated. CsIAA1 mRNA in the lower side, indicated by the arrowhead, accumulated more than that in the upper side of the transition region. g shows the direction of gravity.

Cucumber seedlings develop a specialized protuberance that is called a peg on the lower side of the transition zone between the hypocotyl and the root when seeds are placed in a horizontal position. We have revealed that the CsIAA1 mRNA of the auxin inducible gene accumulated more in the lower side than the upper side of the transition region in response to gravity stimulus. Recently, we found that a horizontal placement of cucumber seedlings induced the change in CsPIN1 auxin efflux carriers in the endodermal cells that sense gravity direction in the transition region. The altered CsPIN1 re-localization in the endodermis in response to gravistimulation would influence auxin transport through the endodermis, resulting in asymmetric auxin distribution in the transition zone. Also, we are now studying the gravisensing mechanism by using Arabidopsis thaliana forward genetics.

Message to Students

We are inviting graduate students interested in this field. If interested, please contact us.