The 12th research meeting of the International Leading Research project “Key-Molecule Network in Plant Reproduction (KEPLR)” was held under the organization of Prof. Takayuki Kohchi.
The meeting featured invited talks by Professor Ueli Grossniklaus, Vice-Director of KEPLR. A total of 24 participants gathered on-site.

Event Details

• Date & Time: April 15, 2026, 12:50–17:30 (Doors open at 12:40; closing at 17:50)
• Venue: Campus Plaza Kyoto, Lecture Room 4 (6th floor), Kyoto, Japan (Hybrid format)

Program
• 13:00–14:00
Lecture 1: Ueli Grossniklaus (University of Zurich)
Can orphan crops help to mitigate climate change?
• 14:00–14:30
Lecture 2: Dr. Yoko Ikeda (Okayama University)
Switching Epigenetic States: DNA Methylation and Demethylation in Marchantia Reproduction

• Discussion Session

• 16:20–16:50
Lecture 3: Koichi Yamamori (Okayama University), Mitsuki Miwa (Kyoto University)
How does the gametocidal gene induce chromosome breakage in wheat? — Single-pollen RNA-seq analysis and molecular biological analysis in yeast —
• 16:50–17:10
Lecture 4: Takeru Kumagai (Kyoto University)
snRNA-seq and Epigenomic Analysis of Germline Differentiation in the Liverwort Marchantia polymorpha
• 17:10–17:30
Lecture 5: Hanako Shimizu (Kyoto University)
Seasonal enhancers in a perennial plant, Arabidopsis halleri subsp. gemmifera

On Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the Kudoh Group organized a seminar at the Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University. Dr. Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi (Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich), from the Shimizu Group, was invited to give a lecture.

The seminar title was:
合成倍数体から探る倍数体エピジェネ進化の方向性
Exploring the Direction of Polyploid Epigenetic Evolution through Analysis of Synthetic Polyploids

https://www.ecology.kyoto-u.ac.jp/seminar.html#ct120

The 11th KEPLR Seminar was held on Friday, February 20, 2026, at Nara Institute of Science and Technology (NAIST), organized by Dr. Tetsuya Hisanaga (Junior PI).
Participants included members mainly from the Kansai area — the Kudoh Group, Nasuda Group, and Sato Group — as well as PIs and students from the Higashiyama Group and Tsuchimatsu Group in the Kanto region.
The following presentations were delivered, followed by active discussion:

Presentations
久永哲也（奈良先端大・久永G）
コケ植物の新奇卵分化制御因子EMUの機能解析
Functional Analysis of EMU, a Novel Regulator of Egg Differentiation in Bryophytes

森本莉生（奈良先端大・久永G）
ゼニゴケの卵形成を担う遺伝子の探索
Identification of Genes Responsible for Egg Formation in Marchantia polymorpha

増田和俊（東大・理・土松G）
海洋島で起こった雌雄異株性の進化：ムラサキシキブ属における性決定遺伝基盤の探索
Evolution of Dioecy on Oceanic Islands: Exploring the Genetic Basis of Sex Determination in the Genus Callicarpa

After the lectures, participants were given a tour of the research facilities at NAIST.

On November 7, 2025 (Fri), Dr. Michael Borg from the Department of Algae Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen (Germany), visited Japan and gave a seminar at the University of Tokyo, Hongo Campus.

Date & Time: November 7, 2025 (Fri) 15:00–16:30
Venue: Lecture Hall, 4th Floor, Faculty of Science Bldg. 2, Hongo Campus, The University of Tokyo
Speaker: Dr. Michael Borg (Department of Algae Development and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Biology Tübingen, Germany)
Title: Evolution and development of the most diverse and complex order of red algae

In his talk, Dr. Borg presented recent findings on the evolution and developmental biology of the most diverse and complex group within the red algae.

We are delighted to co-host the ETH–UZH–UTokyo Joint Symposium in partnership with KEPLR (Key-Molecule-Network in Plant Reproduction). Organized by the Division of Plant Biology and Chemical Biology at the University of Tokyo and KEPLR, this one-day event will bring together leading researchers from ETH Zurich, the University of Zurich, and our department to showcase cutting-edge advances in plant science, chemical biology, and bioengineering.

KEPLR members Prof. Dr. Jeffrey W. Bode (PI), Prof. Dr. Kentaro K. Shimizu (PI) and Dr. Yuuma Ishikawa (formerly of the Wolf lab) will also present at the symposium.

Date & Venue
May 14, 2025 (Wednesday)
5th-floor Auditorium, Chemistry Main Building
Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo

Featured Presentations:

Long-distance translocation of sugar/gibberellin detected by new ultra-high sensitive sugar/gibberellin genetically encoded biosensor
Yuuma Ishikawa¹²³, Tetsuya Higashiyama³, Wolf B. Frommer¹²
¹ Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Institute for Molecular Physiology, Germany
² CEPLAS, Düsseldorf, Germany
³ University of Tokyo, Department of Biological Sciences, Japan
Responses to environmental stress in polyploid plants
Ryohei Fujita¹², Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi¹, Muneo Sato³, Tetsuya Mori³, Masami Yokota Hirai³, Kentaro K. Shimizu¹²
¹ University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Switzerland
² Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Japan
³ RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Japan

Responses to environmental stress in polyploid plants
Ryohei Fujita¹², Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi¹, Muneo Sato³, Tetsuya Mori³, Masami Yokota Hirai³, Kentaro K. Shimizu¹²
¹ University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Switzerland
² Kihara Institute for Biological Research, Yokohama City University, Japan
³ RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Japan

Searching for Pollen Number Controlling Genes
Taro Takahashi¹, Hiroyuki Kakui², Takashi Tsuchimatsu³, Kazuki Fukushima¹, Afif Hedhly⁴, Ana Marcela Florez-Rueda⁴, Ueli Grossniklaus⁴, Naoto-Benjamin Hamaya¹, Michaela Oborská-Oplová⁵, Vikram G. Panse⁵⁶, Kentaro K. Shimizu¹
¹ University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Switzerland
² University of Tokyo, Institute for Sustainable Agro-ecosystem Services, Japan
³ University of Tokyo, Department of Biological Sciences, Japan
⁴ University of Zurich, Department of Plant and Microbial Biology & Zurich-Basel Plant Science Center, Switzerland
⁵ University of Zurich, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Switzerland
⁶ University of Zurich, Faculty of Science, Switzerland