Laboratory of Bioactive Molecules
Plant hormones are a group of bioactive molecules that regulate growth
and development at extremely low concentrations. We’ve been studying how
plant hormones are made and act in plants by characterizing mutants with
altered hormone levels or responsiveness. Because of their sessile nature,
plants carefully monitor the environment and alter their growth and development.
Many plant hormones are involved in such adaptive responses. Strigolactones
have been known as chemical signals that are released from roots and play
a role in symbiosis and parasitism. We have recently identified strigolactones
as a new hormone that regulates shoot branching under changing nutrient
conditions. We’ve been studying their biosynthesis, perception mechanism
and biological functions in detail. We also look for new hormone-like substances
that regulate plant growth and development using relevant mutants. We use
mutants to study hormone biosynthesis and action mechanism
