Plant Science Colloquium with Prof. Dr. Junpei Takano

Boron (B) deficiency and toxicity are agricultural problems impeding crop production worldwide. Due to relatively high solubility of B as boric acid, B deficiency often occurs in high rain fall areas, while B toxicity occurs in arid and semi-arid areas. Boron is essential for plant growth and survival due to its function in cross-liking pectin at the rhamnogalacturonan II (RG-II). Under low-B conditions, a boric acid channel NIP5;1 and a borate exporter BOR1 play key roles in B uptake and translocation in Arabidopsis thaliana. In root cells, including epidermal and endodermal cells, NIP5;1 and BOR1 are localized to the plasma membrane in polar manners toward the soil- and stele-side, respectively to support directional transport of B toward the root stele. In his talk, Prof. Dr. Junpei Takano will present key findings of his lab on how the polar localization of these transporters is regulated at the molecular level.