We are interested in the developmental mechanisms underlying stem cell maintenance, flower development and leaf morphogenesis. We are mainly focusing on a model monocot, rice (Oryza sativa). Recently, we found a unique mechanism that regulates establishment of adaxial-abaxial polarity in stamen development. We also revealed that three genes that encode CLV3-like CLE proteins (FON2, FCP1, and FOS1) may have functionally diversified to regulate the different types of meristem, the flower meristem and the vegetative shoot apical meristem, during evolution of rice.

1. Molecular genetic mechanism that regulate flower and inflorescence development.

2. Genetic regulation of meristem fate and stem cell maintenance.

3. Genetic networks regulated by the DL gene in both carpel development in the flower and midrib formation in the leaf.

Postdoctoral fellows: Yoshihiro Ohmori

Secretary & technicians: Keiko Ohsawa, Eiko Kobri

Graduate students: Wakana Tanaka, Eriko Ohshima, Haruka Nagashima, Daisuke Sato, Junya Suzuki

Undergraduates:

Ohmori, Y., Toriba, T., Nakamura, H., Ichikawa, H., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2011). Temporal and spatial regulation of DROOPING LEAF gene expression that promotes midrib formation in rice. Plant J. 65, 77-86.

Toriba, T., Suzaki, T., Yamaguchi, T., Ohmori, Y., Tsukaya, H., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2010). Distinct regulation of adaxial-abaxial polarity in anther patterning in rice. Plant Cell 22:1452-1462.

Yoshida, A., Suzaki, T., Tanaka, W., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2009). The homeotic gene LONG STERILE LEMMA (G1) specifies sterile lemma identity in the rice spikelet. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 106, 20103-20108.

Suzaki, T., Ohneda, M., Toriba, T., Yoshida, A., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2009). FON2 SPARE1 redundantly regulates floral meristem maintenance with FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER2 in rice. PLoS Genet. 5, 1-9.

Suzaki, T., Yoshida, A., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2008). Functional diversification of CLAVATA3-related CLE proteins in meristem maintenance in rice. Plant Cell 20, 2049-2058.

Hirano, H.-Y., Hirai, A., Sano, Y., and Sasaki, T. (2008). “Rice biology in the genomics era.” (Heidelberg: Springer).

Suzaki, T., Sato, M., Ashikari, M., Miyoshi, M., Nagato, Y., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2004). The gene FLORAL ORGAN NUMBER1 regulates floral meristem size in rice and encodes a leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase orthologous to Arabidopsis CLAVATA1. Development 131, 5649-5657.

Yamaguchi, T., Lee, Y.D., Miyao, A., Hirochika, H., An, G., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2006). Functional diversification of the two C-class genes, OSMADS3 and OSMADS58, in Oryza sativa. Plant Cell 18, 15-28.

Yamaguchi, T., Nagasawa, N., Kawasaki, S., Matsuoka, M., Nagato, Y., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2004). The YABBY gene DROOPING LEAF regulates carpel specification and midrib development in Oryza sativa. Plant Cell 16, 500-509

Kikuchi, K., Terauchi, K., Wada, M., and Hirano, H.-Y. (2003). The plant MITE mPing is mobilized in anther culture. Nature 421, 167-170.