Plants biosynthesize soluble sugar from carbon dioxide and water during photosynthesis. The synthesized sugar is the basis for plant growth, but also displays hormone-like activity and regulates several physiological processes (e.g., vegetative growth, development, senescence, flowering, and primary and secondary metabolism) by modulating gene expression and metabolic regulations. Soluble sugars likely control these physiological processes though complex mechanisms, including crosstalk between sugar signaling and phytohormone response pathways. We identified the molecular mechanism underlying crosstalk between sugar signaling and ethylene signaling pathways (Nature 425, 521-525, 2003), which involves glucose enhancing the degradation of EIN3, a key transcriptional regulator in ethylene signaling, whereas ethylene enhances EIN3 stability. We also identified the critical component for EIN3 degradation (Cell 115, 679-689, 2003; Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101, 6803-6808, 2004). Based on our recent finding that sugar is involved in regulating pre-rRNA processing and ribosomal biogenesis (Mol. Plant 9, 312-315, 2016), our current work is clarifying the molecular mechanism of sugar-regulated ribosomal biogenesis.

Publications (selectd)

• Ishida, T., Maekawa, S., Yanagisawa, S. (2016) The pre-rRNA processing complex in Arabidopsis includes two WD-domain-containing proteins encoded by glucose-inducible genes and plant-specific proteins. Mol. Plant 9: 312-315.
• Aki, T., Yanagisawa, S. (2009) Application of rice nuclear proteome analysis to the identification of evolutionarily conserved and glucose–responsive nuclear proteins. J. Proteome Res. 8: 3912–3924.
• Gagne, J. M., Smalle, J., Gingerich, D. J., Walker, J. M., Yoo, S.-D., Yanagisawa, S., Vierstra, R. D. (2004) Arabidopsis EIN3-binding F-box 1 and 2 form ubiquitin-protein ligases that repress ethylene action and promote growth by directing EIN3 degradation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 6803-6808. [Abstract]
• Potuschak, T., Lechner, E., Parmentier, Y., Yanagisawa, S., Grava, S., Koncz, C., Genschik, P. (2003) EIN3-dependent regulation of plant ethylene hormone signaling by two Arabidopsis F-box proteins: EBF1 and EBF2. Cell 115: 679-689. [Abstract]
• Yanagisawa, S., Yoo, S.-D., Sheen, J. (2003) Differential regulation of EIN3 stability by glucose and ethylene signalling in plants. Nature 425: 521-525. [Abstract]