Vol. 18, March 2017

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Contents
News 
•	O kayama University and International Atomic Energy Agency sign an agreement for thedevelopment of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for cancer therapy•	O kayama University participates in Asia’s Biggest Bio-Business Event: ‘Bio Japan 2016’•	J apan’s Six National Universities Network (SUN)/ International Education & Research

System (SixERS) Signs International Exchange Agreement with Excellence League of
China

Feature  lanetary science: Extreme heat and pressure to yield unique insights into the origin ofP
gaseous planets

Research Highlights •	R educing phosphorus in rice grain for sustainable and environmental-friendly agriculture• Quick immunohistochemistry with clearing detects epigenetic changes• Growing rice in space: Insights into effect of space environment on seed viability•	P lants use methionine to respond to environmental stresses

Topics 
Okayama Travelogue• Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art

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Vol. 18, March 2017

News
Okayama University and International Atomic Energy Agency sign anagreement for the development of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy(BNCT) for cancer therapy
Okayama University and the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) concluded an agreement on 26 October
2016 for the development of boron neutron capture
therapy (BNCT)—a new approach to cancer treatment.
President Kiyoshi Morita and Executive Director/
Vice President of Research Shin-ichi Yamamoto from
Okayama University and Dr Meera Venkatesh, Directorof the Division of Physical and Chemical Sciences inthe Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications
at IAEA, signed the agreement at a ceremony held at
Okayama University. Notably, this is the first agreementin the world to be concluded on BNCT with the IAEA.
“It is an enormous honor to conclude a cooperative
agreement on boron neutron capture therapy,” said
President Morita during his speech at the ceremony.
“BNCT is a cancer treatment with great potential, and atherapy resulting from the fortuitous encounter of modern
elementary particle physics with new pharmaceuticalcellular biology. I am confident that this agreement willfurther strengthen the relationship between Okayama
University and IAEA, and lead to new developments in
BNCT.”

IAEA Director Venkatesh (left) with President Morita (middle) and
Executive Director Yamamoto signing the agreement

Commemorative photograph of the participants in the signingceremony.

Executive Director Yamamoto emphasized his hope that a broad range of knowledge will be shared in thefield of radiotherapy, saying, “BNCT is a technology integrating the medical, pharmaceutical and physicalsciences. Through this agreement with the IAEA, we aim to contribute to education and research in thisinnovative field.”
In her speech, Director Venkatesh said, “The IAEA is committed to accelerate and enlarge the contributionof atomic energy to peace, health and development around the world. There have been many important
advances in cancer therapy recently, but still with numerous challenges ahead. The IAEA Member States
will also benefit from cooperation with internationally recognized institutions, such as Okayama University.

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Vol. 18, March 2017

We have not seen much progress in BNCT for a few decades. However, the ‘Side Event’ we organized during
the IAEA’s General Conference in September 2016 urged us to re-examine the current status of this therapy,
focusing in particular on the recent development of new boron compounds and effective neutron sources
generated in accelerators.”
Professor Hideki Matsui of the Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, who
has developed a boron compound that can reach cancer cell nuclei, said, “BNCT may be the most promisingcancer treatment available. If a compound containing B-10 can be injected into each cancer cell which isthen exposed to a neutron beam, the cancer cell can be killed by the boron-neutron reaction within the cell.”Importantly, Okayama University and the IAEA already have cooperative relationship even prior tothe conclusion of this agreement, having previously organized previously two joint symposia; Okayama
University inviting specialists from the IAEA; organizing an international workshop in 2015 titled, ‘The
Current and a Future of Radiation’; and a symposium in 2016 titled, ‘The Current and a Future of Radiationand External Beam Therapy’.
These activities were important for this agreement on research and education program on BNCT. Professor
Matsui and Professor Yasuaki Ichikawa of the Organization for Research Promotion & Collaboration are
engaging in further cooperative activities with the IAEA.

Further information
Okayama University website
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/news/index_id6296.html

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Vol. 18, March 2017

News

Okayama University participates in Asia’s Biggest Bio-Business Event:‘Bio Japan 2016’
Okayama University participated in Asia’s biggestb i o - b u s i n e s s e v e n t : ‘ B i o J a p a n 2 0 1 6 Wo r l dBusiness Forum’ held at Pacifico Yokohama on 1214 October 2017, where it presented the results ofadvanced research in areas including medicine, drug
development, and biomedical engineering, as well as
giving details about Okayama University’s Biobank
Project, which collects and offers biological samples
for research.
Associate Professor Junichiro Futami of the Medical
Bioengineering at the Graduate School of Natural
Science and Technology, has developed highly
sensitive antibody-detecting diagnostic agentsfor quantifying the degree of activation of tumor
immunological response through a simple blood test.
He announced that by using this diagnostic agent, it
is possible to provide important data for evaluating
treatment plan options for cancer immunotherapy, forwhich there is considerable individual variation.
Associate Professor Akio Tani of the Institute of
Plant science and Resources, has discovered that
predominant bacterial symbionts (Methylobacterium
species) on plant surfaces utilize methanol emitted
from plants to accumulate large quantities of
ergothioneine (EGT)— a very expensive antioxidative
amino acid that animals cannot synthesize. He
explained that by using these bacteria, it is possible
to produce EGT inexpensively compared withconventional methods using chemical synthesis. EGT
has a wide range of potential applications including
as a material for cosmetics, and supplements.

Associate Professor Futami (right) explaining evaluation of tumor
immune response

A ss o c i a te P ro fe ss o r Ta n i ( le f t ) ex p l a i n i n g e rg o t h i o n e i n e
production

Audience listening to Professor Seno’s presentation

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Professor Masaharu Seno of the Medical Biomedical
Engineering at the Graduate School of Natural
Science and Technology, has developed a techniquefor using normal iPS cells to create cancer stem cells
exhibiting a wide range of properties. In to order toverify the validity of his technique, Professor Seno
has proposed novel mouse models for cancer to assess
potential drug delivery systems and antitumor agentsthat can be evaluated concurrently with the immune
system.

Okayama University representatives (right side) consulting withmedical organization representatives

In addition, he presented clinical results of a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for patientswith sepsis, and results from molecular targeting techniques using theranostics (Therapy + Diagnosis),and the concept of the Okayama University Hospital Biobank.
At the exhibitor presentation, Okayama University gave six lectures, with a total of 370 people
attending the event.
Finally, the University also conducted matching meetings with pharmaceutical companies andmedical/pharmaceutical related organizations interested in research at Okayama University, andexchanged views for technology transfer and joint research.
Further information
English page
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/news/index_id6356.html
Japanese page
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id6224.html

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Vol. 18, March 2017

News
Japan’s Six National Universities Network (SUN)/ International
Education & Research System (SixERS) Signs International Exchange
Agreement with Excellence League of China
On 28 November 2017, Six National Universities
Network (SUN)/ International Education & Research
System (SixERS) (SUN/SixERS Consortium) in Japanand the Excellence League (Excellence 9) of China
signed an international exchange agreement. Masaru
Araki, Director of SUN/SixERS Consortium, andOkayama University Executive Director and Vice
President (Social Responsibility and International
Affairs), and Qingnian Wang, South China Universityof Technology Director of International Office, cosigned the agreement.
On the next day, 29 November, a commemorative
ceremony was held in Kyoto in partnership with
the Japan-China University Education Exchange
Meeting. About 140 persons attended, including
Consul General Li Tianran of the Consulate Generalof the People’s Republic of China in Osaka, andrepresentatives from the Excellence League, theConsortium of Six National Universities in Japan,
and the Japan-China University Education Exchange
Meeting. Advancements in academic exchanges
between the Consortium and the League are being
highly anticipated as a result of this agreement.

Director Wang of South China University of Technology (left)
and Executive Director and Vice President Araki of Okayama
University shake hands

Representatives of the Excellence League in China and the Six
National Universities Network (SUN)/ International Education &Research System (SixERS) Consortium, in Japan

Further information
Englishhttp://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/news/index_id6425.html
Japanese page
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/tp/news/news_id6326.html
SixERS Consortium website (Japanese)
http://sixers.jp/

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Vol. 18, March 2017

FeaturePlanetary science: Extreme heat and pressure to yield uniqueinsights into the origin of gaseous planets
Okayama University’s Institute for Planetary Materials(IPM) is one of the world’s premier institutes conducting
fundamental research on planetary systems science. Its
mission is to integrate solar system studies for better
understanding of the distribution, origin and interactionof planetary materials, including the origin of life.
Laser-Heated Diamond-Anvil Cell (DAC)
Andrew Jephcoat is at the Division for Basic Planetary
Materials Science and leading IPM’s research on theevolution of the solar system with laboratory studies
recreating the extremes of pressure (P) and temperature(T) existing in the deep interiors of planets.

Andrew Jephcoat
Division for Basic Planetary Materials Science
Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, Misasa,
Tottori.

Over the years, diamond-anvil cells (DAC’s) have been
widely used to reproduce the environment at core of the
Earth for example, with high temperatures and pressures
up to 1000’s of degrees and over 300 GPa.
Mysteries of “gas giant” planets
Recently, however, the target of high P-T research has
shifted to investigating the interior of so-called ‘gas
giants’ like Jupiter and Saturn. Notably, stars and theuniverse consist mainly of hydrogen (H2) and helium(He), and it is thought that the high temperature andhigh pressure regions inside such planets are composedof mainly these hot, dense fluids, surrounding a small
rocky, possibly solid core, itself at ultrahigh pressure andtemperature (Figure 2). There are still many uncertainties
about the compositional changes in these molecular fluid
planetary envelopes under extremes of P and T.

Figure 1. The Diamond-Anvil Cell (DAC). [Left] Gem-quality
diamond anvils used to create high pressure and temperaturein the laboratory. [Right] A cross-section of the trapped sample
showing confining gasket and heating (pump laser and diagnostic
Raman excitation laser. A metal absorber, with a hole 1/5 size ofa human hair, will be used to heat the a dense fluid of hydrogenmixtures representative of Jupiter’s shallow interior.

For example, the Galileo entry probe (7/12/95) sampled
Jupiter’s atmosphere and revealed unexpected depletionof the trace rare gas neon (Ne). Theoretical models

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Vol. 18, March 2017

recently predicted (Refs. 1,2) that hot, dense helium fluid
could separate from fluid metallic hydrogen in the deep
interior of the gas giants, forming “hot helium rain” anddragging neon preferentially dissolved within it to deeper
regions of the planet (Figure 2). In addition, the observed
excess luminosity of Saturn for its current age, might also
result from the additional gravitational internal energy
source that such helium segregation could provide. “We
need to begin to try to observe this process and otherpossible molecular reactions that are important to gain
insights into the interior structure of such planets.”
Aims and approach of research using diamond anvil
cells at IPM
The IPM group are designing experiments (Figure 3) on
the H2-He-Ne system for up to 200 GPa-6000 K (muchhigher than previous experiments at 10 GPa-500 K) to
try to observe the behaviour by making measurements
using laser Raman scattering with the DAC. “Theseexperiments are challenging because hot hydrogen is
extremely reactive and difficult to confine, diffusing into
the diamond anvils.” “If we can hold P and T steadyfor long enough, we might observe this elusive phaseseparation.” (Figure 4.) Our work under static conditions
compliments transient laser-shock experiments on precompressed He-H2 targets.
Plans and expectations

Figure 2. A cross-section of a “typical” gas giant planet.
For Jupiter the mean radius is ~70,000 km, approximately
11 times the size of Earth. The Galileo probe in 1996
revealed unexpected neon depletion in the atmosphere.
One explanation that needs to be tested is that neon alloys
with helium and “rains out” of a metallic hydrogen layer,somewhere within Jupiter’s (and Saturn’s) interior.

Figure 3. The optical components of the laser-heating
system for the DAC at IPM showing the 200W infra-red
fibre laser source operating at 1070nm (orange) and thebeam path of collected light (blue) for Raman scatteringand imaging.

Since July 2016 NASA’s JUNO spacecraft has been
mapping Jupiter’s magnetic and gravitational fields
in order to understand better its interior structure,core mass, and origin of the magnetic field. Clarifying
the correlation and behavior of H-He mixtures withother trace molecular species mixtures at even1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan© Okayama University

Vol. 18, March 2017

moderate depths, is expected to be a major advance inunderstanding the interior and chemical composition of
Jupiter and Saturn. These DAC methods can be applied
to a range of planetary materials, including organics andwater and will add to accumulated human knowledge on
the origin of planets and other solar-system bodies.
This is an epic project to unlock the secrets of origin of
Jupiter and other planets in the solar system.
Ref. 1 Wilson, H. F & B. Militzer, Sequestration of noble
gases in giant planet interiors, Phys. Rev. Lett., 121101(2010).
Ref. 2. Morales, M. A., S. Hamel, K. caspersen &E. Schwegler, Hydrogen-helium demixing from firstprinciples: From diamond anvil cells to planetaryinteriors, Phys. Rev. B., 87, 174105 (2013).

Figure 4. There are different predictions for position of the
P-T envelope where hydrogen and helium “de-mix” withpressure and temperature (see Ref. 2). In the DAC, onlya small region of the hydrogen-helium phase diagram
has been explored so far (dark blue square). With new
static methods for generation of P and T in the DAC wehope to extend the range studied by perhaps an order ofmagnitude (pink region) toward the predicted “de-mixing”
boundaries (solid and dashed grey curves).

Further information
1.	IPM website
http://www.misasa.okayama-u.ac.jp/eng/
2.	Nasa website
https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/juno/overview/index.html
3.	Okayama e-Bulletin vol.11 June 2015
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/pdf/vol11.pdf

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Research Highlights

Reducing phosphorus in rice grain for sustainable and environmentalfriendly agriculture
Application of phosphorus fertilizers is necessary to sustainhigh crop production in modern agriculture. Research
has shown that the most of the phosphorus absorbed by
the roots is finally allocated to the grains, which remove
large part of phosphorus in soil at harvest. Phosphorus incereal grains is stored in the form of a chemical named
phytic acid, however, this form cannot be digested byhuman and most animals, resulting in excretion of phyticacid to the environment, which causes water pollution or‘eutrophication’. Furthermore, phytic acid forms a strong
complex with zinc and iron, which will decrease theavailability of these metals. Therefore, reducing phosphorus
accumulation in grains is an urgent demand for sustainable
and environmental-friendly agriculture.
Jian Feng Ma of Okayama University and colleagues reporta possible solution to this dilemma by controlling the flowof phosphorus into grain. Specifically, the researchers
identified a phosphorus transporter (SPDT) that acts as aswitch at the rice nodes, which is a hub for distribution ofmineral elements. SPDT is a novel transporter identified
so far. Importantly, Ma and his colleagues found thatknockout of this gene can reduce phytic acid concentrationin the grains by 20% without yield penalty. By contrast,
more P was delivered to the straw, which will increase soil
phosphorus by returning them to soils.
This strategy found in rice may be also available in othercereal crops. The researchers are confident that thisapproach to recycling of phosphorus and reduction in
eutrophication of water will be an important factor forsustainable and environmental-friendly agriculture in
future.

Figure 1
Effect of knockout of SPDT gene on phytic acidconcentration in rice grains

Figure 2
Rice grains of wild-type rice and spdt mutant

Figure 3
A scheme for the role of SPDT transporter in distributionof phosphorus in rice node

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Reference:
Naoki Yamaji1*, Yuma Takemoto1*, Takaaki Miyaji2, Namiki Mitani-Ueno1, Kaoru T. Yoshida3 and Jian Feng Ma1*, Reducing
phosphorus accumulation in rice grains with an impaired transporter in the node, Nature 541, 92, January 2017.
doi:10.1038/nature20610
1. Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University, Chuo 2-20-1, Kurashiki 710-0046, Japan.
2.	Advanced Science Research Center, Okayama University, Okayama 700-8530, Japan.
3.	Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
Corresponding author:
E-mail address: maj@rib.okayama-u.ac.jp (Jian Feng Ma).

Reference (Okayama Univ. e-Bulletin): Professor Jian Feng Ma’s team•	Vol.17 Professor Jian Feng Ma receives the 2016 Corresponding Membership Award from the American Society ofPlant Biologists (ASPB)
http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol17/news_001.html•	Vol.16 Professors Jian Feng Ma and Naoki Yamaji receive “Highly Cited Researchers 2015” Award

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/news/vol16/news_001.html•	Vol.13 Preferential distribution of silicon to rice grains

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/research_highlights/vol13/highlights_001.html•	Vol.12 Plants feel stress!

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/feature/vol12/feature_001.html•	Vol.11 Vitamin C transport in plants: AtPHT4;4 required for photo-inhibiti on tolerance

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/research_highlights/vol11/highlights_001.html•	Vol.9 Arsenic toxicity: Reducing accumulation in rice grains

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/research_highlights/vol9/highlights_004.html•	Vol.5 How rice plants deal with environmental changes in manganese

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/research_highlights/vol5/highlights_002.html•	Vol.1 Identification of a rice transporter for manganese and cadmium uptake

http://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/research_highlights/vol1/highlights_003.html

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Research Highlights

Quick immunohistochemistry with clearing detects epigenetic
changes
Epigenetic changes in plant tissues are detected using acomparatively fast immunohistochemical method developed at
Okayama University in Japan
Some inheritable traits stem from changes in how genes are
expressed without affecting the DNA sequence, such as
modifications to histones, the proteins responsible for ordering
DNA into structural units or ‘nucleosomes’ that fit into cells.
Okayama University researchers have now developed atechnique that is sensitive enough to detect epigenetic changes
while avoiding some of the drawbacks of previous techniques,
such as poor sample penetration and lengthy preparation times.
The researchers based their approach on immunohistochemical
staining, which uses the selective binding of antigens
to specific proteins for imaging. Previous attempts withimmunohistochemical staining have met with limited successdue to autofluorescence interfering with signals and poor
antibody permeability into the cells. One previous attempt
successfully removed lipids, colours and cell walls, allowing
antibodies access to the cells without errant autofluroescence,but took 7-9 weeks to complete and only proved successful
in detecting the most abundant cell protein, which has a
far stronger immunosignal than the targeted epigenetic
modifications.
Kiyotaka Nagaki, Naoki Yamaji and Minoru Murata combined
the use of enzymes (e) to digest cell walls and aid permeability
with 2-propanol (Pro) and a “ClearSee” clearing treatments
to make the leaf samples transparent (ePro-ClearSee). They
demonstrated the technique on a range of samples including
dicot and monocot species as either whole leaves, perforated
leaves, cropped disc shapes and strips, identifying pros andcons for the different leaf shapes for different studies.

C le a r i n g o f le a v e s b y t h e e P ro - C le a r S e emethod.
Leaves of five monocot and four dicot species
were cleared by the ePro-ClearSee method.
Leaves before and after clearing are indicated.

Immunohistochemistry with the ePro-ClearSee
method.
Signals of methylated histone (green) wereshown on a bright field image of a wheat leaf.

A 3D image of a wheat leaf stained by the eProClearSee method.
Signals o f me thylate d histo ne (green ) an dcentromere specific histone variant (red) wereshown on DAPI stained nuclei (gray).

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Vol. 18, March 2017

“ePro-ClearSee method enabled the detection of immunosignals
200 μ m deep in plant tissues without the need for sectioning
for a short period of time,” they explain in their report of thetechnique, concluding that it may be applicable to other typesof analysis as well.

Publication and Affiliation
Kiyotaka Nagaki*, Naoki Yamaji and Minoru Murata Investigations
into ePro-ClearSee: a simple immunohistochemical method that

High-resolution analysis of wheat and rice
nuclei.
Signals o f me thylate d histo ne (green ) an dcentromere specific histone variant (red) wereshown on DAPI stained nuclei (gray).

does not require sectioning of plant samples 2017, Scientific

Reports 7 42203
Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University,
Kurashiki 710-0046, Japan.
*Correspondence: nagaki@rib.okayama-u.ac.jp

A immunohistchemical image of a wheat root.
Signals of methylated histone (gray) were shown.

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Research Highlights

Growing rice in space: Insights into effect of space environment on
seed viability
Successfully sustaining edible plants in space is an importantfactor for sustaining long-term human habitation in thisunique and hostile environment with intense fluctuations intemperature and harmful radiation. Recent research on growing
plants in space has highlighted the importance of germination,
the stage where seeds grow into plants, with reports of negative
effects of the space environment on germination. However, it
is still not clear how the space environment effects genes that
regulate a plants biological processes during germination.
Therefore, understanding the effects of space environment on
genes governing germination is expected to give insights into
biological mechanisms determining seed viability in space.
With this background, Manabu Sugimoto at Okayama
University and colleagues compared four groups of rice seeds.
Two groups were stored outside the International Space Station(for 13 and 20 months) and the two corresponding groups werestored on Earth. After exposure to space environment, all thegroups of rice were germinated on Earth. The researchers
designed experiments to determine germination efficiency andvariance in genes.

Figure 1. Metal containers packing rice seeds.
(Photo by NASA)

The researchers found that data from four batches showedthat longer exposure of seeds in space yielded to improperand delayed germination. Notably, these seeds also exhibiteddecrease of long-lived mRNAs. This was an important finding
because successful germination requires rapid resumption of
metabolic activity.
This research showed that viability of seeds was directly related
to the length of time the seeds were exposed to the spaceenvironment. Furthermore, optimum germination efficiency wasachieved in space by limiting the exposure time of the seeds,
where shorter space exposure, led to fewer genetic alterrationsin the seeds.

Figure 2. Docking compartment of International
Space Station where rice seeds were exposed toouter space. (Photo by NASA).

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Reference:
Manabu Sugimoto a,1, Youko Oono b,1, Yoshihiro Kawahara b, Oleg
Gusev c, Masahiko Maekawa a, Takashi Matsumoto b, Margarita
Levinskikh d, Vladimir Sychev d, Natalia Novikova d, Anatoly Grigoriev d,
Gene expression of rice seeds surviving 13- and 20-month exposure
to space environment, Life Sciences in Space Research 11, 10–17,(2016).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.lssr.2016.10.001a	Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University,
2-20-1 Chuo, Kurashiki, Okayama 710-0046, Japanb	National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2-1-2 Kannondai,

Figure 3. Rice seeds stored in space (upper) andon Earth (lower) 5 days after imbibition.

Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japanc	Preventive Medicine & Diagnosis Innovation Program, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japand	Institute of Biomedical Problems of Russian Academy of Sciences, 76a Khorosheevskoe shosse, Moscow 123007, Russia

Corresponding author
E-mail addresses: manabus@rib.okayama-u.ac.jp (M.Sugimoto).

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Vol. 18, March 2017

Research Highlights

Plants use methionine to respond to environmental stresses
Evidence of the new physiological role of glutamate receptor
homologs (GLRs) - plant proteins that share ancestral roots
with those in our neural system - has been presented by aninternational collaboration with researchers at Okayama
University.
Neural communication, learning, and regulation processes
in humans are mediated by glutamate receptors, a type ofprotein that responds to an amino acid neurotransmitter,glutamate. It has been known that homologs of the glutamate
receptors (GLRs) exist in plants, but the detail functional
characterisation remained to be done. Now Drs. Dongdong
Kong, Heng Cheng Hu, Eiji Okuma, and collaborators in
the US, China, Japan, and Korea have demonstrated forthe first time that two types of GLR found in Mouse-ear
cress (Arabidopsis) - GLR3.1 and GLR3.5 - do form ion
channels as animal glutamate receptors, - but they respondto methionine, instead of glutamate.
Calcium ion is known to be crucial in the opening andclosing of tiny pores on leaf surface, called stomata, which
regulate gas exchange for photosynthesis. Kong, Hu,
Okuma et al. found that GLR3.1 and GLR3.5 function
as methionine-activated calcium ion influx channels
that regulate stomatal closure response. They found that
Arabidopsis mutant plants lacking GLR3.1 and GLR3.5
showed impairment of methionine-triggered calcium ion
currents and stomatal closing. These results identified
the new role of methionine as a regulator in plant stressresponses.

Figure 1:
Stomatal pores are formed by pairs of guard cells, andclosing and opening pores are regulated by guard cellvolume changes. Stomatal pores are gateways for regulating
gas exchange for photosynthesis. When guard cells swell,stomata open. On the other hands, when guard cells shrink,stomata close.

Figure 2 :(Left) Methionine induces Ca2+ influx channel activation in wildtype plants (upper trace) but not in the mutant lacking GLR3.1/
GLR3.5 (Lower trace).
(Right) A simplified model indicating the role of GLR3.1/3.5
Ca 2+ channel and methionine to trigger stomatal closure in
Arabidopsis plants.

Previous studies had revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) function as second messengers in
regulation of stomatal closure. Kong, Hu, Okuma et al. provided evidences that GLR3.1 and GLR3.5 calcium
ion channels act independently and upstream of ROS. The authors conclude, “it will be of interest to explore

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Vol. 18, March 2017

the potential interplay and intrinsic characteristics between the redox-sensitive signalling pathways and the
GLR3.1/3.5 channel-mediated Ca2+ signalling pathway in plants.”

Publication and Affiliation
Dongdong Kong 1,2,3,9, Heng-Cheng Hu 1,9,10, Eiji Okuma 4,9, Yuree Lee 5,9, Hui Sun Lee 6, Shintaro Munemasa 4, Daeshik Cho
1, Chuanli Ju 7, Leah Pedoeim 1, Barbara Rodriguez 1, Juan Wang 7, Wonpil Im 6, Yoshiyuki Murata 4, Zhen-Ming Pei 2, andJune M. Kwak 5,8,11,*, L-Met activates Arabidopsis GLR Ca2+ channels upstream of ROS production and regulates stomatal
movement. 2016, Cell Reports 17, 2553–2561
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.015
1.	Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
2.	Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
3.	Department of Chemistry, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
4.	Graduate School of Environmental and Life Science, Okayama University, Tsushima-Naka, Okayama 700-8530, Japan
5.	Center for Plant Aging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
6.	Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering Program, Lehigh University, 111 Research Drive, Bethlehem,
PA 18015, USA
7.	College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
8.	Department of New Biology, DGIST, Daegu 42988, Republic of Korea
9.	Co-first author
10.	Present address: American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health 0Sciences, Bethesda, MD
20814, USA
11.	Lead Contact*Correspondence: jkwak@dgist.ac.kr

1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan© Okayama University

Vol. 18, March 2017

Topics : Okayama Travelogue

Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art
The Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art—also known as ‘Nagi
MOCA’—was created in 1994 by internationally renowned
architect Arata Isozaki based on a collaboration with artists.
The Nagi MOCA is the world’s first ‘site specific arts museum’,consisting of fusion of ideas of art and architecture, with huge
exhibits produced by artists that are too large to house inordinary galleries of arts museums.
The construction of the Nagi Museum of Contemporary Art
showed that architects and artists could collaborate to create
museums, and is the first arts museum in the world to be
become a public facility.
The museum stands at the foot of Mount Nagi and has three
exhibition rooms: Shusaku Arakawa building is called "Sun",
the Kazuo Okazaki building is "Moon", and the Aiko Miyawaki
building is called "Earth". Each building is represented
symbolically.

Exterior of the main buildings.

E x h i b i t i o n ro o m “ S u n ” . S h u s a k u A r a k a w a a n dMadeline Gins

In addition to the permanent work exhibition room, themuseum also has a gallery and municipal library. The gallery
is used to hold workshops, cafe talks, and mainly exhibitionsof contemporary art, as well as musical and dance events both
inside and outside the building.

Exhibition room “Moon”. Kazuo Okazaki

Further information
Architect Arata Isozaki
https://matome.naver.jp/odai/2142822203394831501
Websitehttp://www.town.nagi.okayama.jp/moca/index.html

Exhibition room “Earth”. Aiko Miyawaki

1-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Kita-ku, Okayama 700-8530 Japan© Okayama University