【Press Release】Forward Genetics Approach Reveals the Gene Behind Carbon Allocation Trade-Off in Plant Leaves
2025.04.17
A research team led by Associate Professor Takashi L. Shimada from the Graduate School of Horticulture at Chiba University has uncovered a key gene that determines how plants allocate carbon between starch and oil in their leaves.
Using a forward genetics approach, the team identified a novel gene, LIRI1, which regulates the balance between starch accumulation and the formation of oil-rich lipid droplets (triacylglycerols).
Their findings offer valuable insights into plant metabolism and could contribute to the development of sustainable biofuel crops and low-starch food resources.
This research highlights how modifying LIRI1 could lead to novel crop varieties with increased oil content in leaves--potentially transforming how plant-based carbon resources are utilized for both energy and health-related applications.
【EurekAlert!】
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1080513
【AlphaGalileo】
https://www.alphagalileo.org/en-gb/Item-Display/ItemId/257509