Laboratories and faculty

Plant Immunity

Prof. Saijo
Professor
SAIJO Yusuke mail icon
Assistant Professor
YASUDA Shigetaka mail icon
INOUE Kanako mail icon
Dominguez John Jewish mailアイコン
Labs HP
https://bsw3.naist.jp/saijo/

記事アイコンNAIST Edge BIO

Outline of Research and Education

In nature, plants harbor a diverse community of microbes, ranging from mutualistic symbionts to pathogens. The dynamics and outcomes of plant-microbe interactions, including crop disease epidemics, are profoundly influenced by environmental factors, such as light, temperature, water, and nutrient availability. Our research aims to uncover the mechanisms by which plants perceive and integrate biotic and abiotic signals to regulate their microbial associations in fluctuating environments. Our key research areas include: (1) immune receptor signaling and the crosstalk between biotic and abiotic stress responses, (2) functional significance and infection strategies of mutualistic and pathogenic microbes, and (3) understanding and harnessing plant-associated mutualistic microbes. Through these studies, we seek to reveal fundamental principles of host-microbe interactions and contribute to the advancement of sustainable agriculture.

Major Research Topics

  1. Danger sensing and signaling in plant immunity
  2. Signal integration between biotic and abiotic stress responses in plants
  3. Infection strategies and regulatory mechanisms of mutualistic and pathogenic microbes in plants
  4. Harnessing plant-associated mutualistic microbes for sustainable agriculture
fig.1
Fig. 1 How plants interact with microbes—whether through mutualism or disease—varies greatly depending on environmental conditions. We are conducting research to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying plant-microbe-environment interactions that influence plant survival and crop production.
fig.2
Fig. 2 A fundamental framework for plant immunity signaling and its environmental regulation. Pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) at the cell surface detect microbe- and damage-associated molecular patterns (MAMPs/DAMPs), triggering intracellular defense signaling. Our research focuses on how plants integrate biotic and abiotic stress signals. For further details, see Saijo and Loo, New Phytologist (2020), and Inoue et al., Journal of Plant Research (2024).
fig.3
Fig. 3 Plants enhance nutrient uptake from the soil through mutualistic interactions with microbes inside the roots. But how do plants attract these microbes, and how do these microbes find their host plants? We are investigating their communication mechanisms. In high-yield, non-fertilized paddy fields, we have identified beneficial bacteria residing in rice plants (left). We are also studying their colonization within roots (top right, electron microscopy) and the underlying mechanisms of this mutualism, while exploring ways to apply beneficial microbes to sustainable agriculture (bottom right).

References

  1. Yasuda et al, bioRxiv 2025 doi: 10.1101/2025.01.04.63131
  2. Adachi et al, bioRxiv 2024 doi: 10.1101/2024.09.02.610732
  3. Tanaka et al, Mol Plant Microbe Interact 38, 2025 in press
  4. Okada et al, Plant J 120, 2639-2655, 2024
  5. Inoue et al, J Plant Res 137, 343-357, 2024
  6. Hiruma et al, Nature Commun 14, 5288, 2023 doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40867-w.
  7. Okada et al, New Phytologist, 229, 2844-2858, 2021
  8. Saijo & Loo, New Phytologist, 225, 87-104, 2020 Tansley Review
  9. Saijo et al., Plant J., 93, 592-613, 2018
  10. Shinya et al., Plant J., 94, 4, 626-637, 2018
  11. Yasuda et al, Curr Opin Plant Biol, 38, 10-18, 2017
  12. Ariga et al, Nature Plants, 3, 17072, 2017
  13. Yamada et al, Science, 354, 1427-1430, 2016
  14. Espinas et al, Front. Plant Sci., 7, 1201, 2016
  15. Yamada et al, EMBO J., 35, 46-61, 2016
  16. Ross et al., EMBO J., 33, 62-75, 2014
  17. Tintor et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110, 6211-6216, 2013
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