Members

Professor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University

[Specialization]

Plant Genetics

[Research in the past]

I have focused on wild rice and its landraces as genetic resources that can be used to improve cultivated rice. They grow in Japan, China, South-east Asia, and Australia. These data are necessary to work on rice evolution and the origin of rice. This research has been performed with researchers from other fields such as linguistics, archaeology, genetics, and evolutionary genetics.

[My role in this research]

My participation in this project is to understand how rice has changed during the domestication process. This process has caused wild rice to change its genetic characteristics, population structure, and genetic diversity. In the process of this research, we may discover how humans impacted the genetic components of rice. We will see evidence in rice phytoliths, excavated seeds, and in differences between populations close to the origin and those far away. We may also amplify archaeological DNA from excavated plant specimens. In order to work on such valuable materials, we will negotiate and collaborate with Chinese scientists. I will participate greatly in the process.

[Major methodology: DNA analysis]

DNA analysis will be applied to discover the difference between wild or archaeological materials and modern ones. This will show us what kinds of human selections have been found.

[Achievements concerned to this field]

Sato, Y-I and R. Ishikawa(2004) Plant world in Sannai-Maruyama site,pp. 140, SHOKABO, Tokyo.
Hao Y, M Akimoto, R Kaewcheenchai, M Sotowa, T Ishii, R Ishikawa (2015) Inconsistent diversities between nuclear and plastid genomes of AA genome species in the genus Oryza. Genes & Genetic Systems Accepted
Brozynska M., E. Syafika, OA. Furtado, D. Crayn, B. Simon, R. Ishikawa, RJ. Henry (2014) Chloroplast Genome of Novel Rice Germplasm Identified in Northern Australia. Tropical Plant Biol. (2014) 7:111–120.
Ootsuka,K., I Takahashi, K. Tanaka, T. Itani, H. Tabuchi, T. Yoshihashi, A. Tonouchi, R. Ishikawa　(2014) Genetic polymorphisms in Japanese fragrant landraces and novel fragrant allele domesticated in northern Japan. Breeding Science 64:115-12
Sotowa, M., K. Ootsuka, Y. Kobayashi, Y. Hao, K. Tanaka, K. Ichitani, JM. Flowers, M D .Purugganan, I. Nakamura, Y-I. Sato, T. Sato, D. Crayn, B. Simon, D. LE. Waters, R. J. Henry and R. Ishikawa (2013)　Molecular relationships between Australian annual wild rice, Oryza meridionalis, and two related perennial forms. Rice 2013, 6:26 doi:10.1186/1939-8433-6-26