RIKEN BioResource Research Center (BRC®) Experimental Plant Division
Division Director: Taiji Kawakatsu (Ph.D.)
Research Summary
Plant science plays a central role in ensuring sustainable food production, the development of useful biological materials, and the conservation of the global environment. The Experimental Plant Division serves as the national core facility for Arabidopsis, plant cultured cell, and plant DNA resources under the National BioResource Project (NBRP) of Japan. Our mission is to collect, preserve, characterize, and distribute high-quality biological resources that support plant science research worldwide. We also develop technologies for resource preservation, quality control, characterization, and data integration, and provide training opportunities to promote the effective use of these resources by the scientific community.
Leveraging these bioresources, we investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity and environmental adaptation in plants. A particular focus of our research is the genetic and epigenomic variation found among natural Arabidopsis accessions and its contribution to phenotypic variation and environmental adaptation. Our research encompasses gene regulatory networks involved in plant development, seed germination, and environmental responses, as well as beneficial plant-microbe interactions that enhance plant growth. By integrating bioresource science with genetic, genomic, and epigenomic approaches, we aim to uncover fundamental principles governing phenotypic diversity and environmental adaptation.
Main Research Fields
- Biology
Related Research Fields
- Biological Sciences
- Agricultural Sciences
Keywords
- Plant Bioresources
- Plant Functional Genomics
- Epigenomes
- Gene expression
Selected Publications
Papers with an asterisk(*) are based on research conducted outside of RIKEN.
- 1.
Iuchi A, Iuchi S, Aso Y, Abe H, Kobayashi M, Kawakatsu T.:
"Multiplex PCR based detection methods of common plant transgenes."
Plant Cell Physiol. 28:pcag089 (2026). - 2.
Fukuda H, Fukuda A, Sakamoto T, Kawahara Y, Naito K, Kawakatsu T, Yonemaru JI, Ogawa D.:
"Dissecting Agronomically favorable genotypes in temperate japonica rice via haplotype analysis of a Japan-MAGIC population."
Plant J. 126:e70936 (2026). - 3.
Gers A, Shiraishi K, Tonosaki K, Okamoto S, Kaga A, Kuroda R, Matsuoka JI, Toyoda A, Kawakatsu T, Maruko C, Takahashi K, Okazaki K, Okada M, Fukai E.:
"Differential regulation of heterochromatin and euchromatin by GmDDM1 during seed development ensures seedling viability in soybean."
Plant J. 126:e70921 (2026). - 4.
*Yoshino K, Tanaka R, Yoshida S, Numajiri Y, Teramoto S, Kitomi Y, Uga Y, Kawakatsu T.:
"Biomarker genes for model-based prediction of drought-stress perception levels in rice."
BMC Plant Biol. 25:1216 (2025). - 5.
*Tonosaki K, Susaki D, Morinaka H, Ono A, Nagata H, Furuumi H, Nonomura KI, Sato Y, Sugimoto K, Comai L, Hatakeyama K, Kawakatsu T, Kinoshita T.:
"Multilayered epigenetic control of persistent and stage-specific imprinted genes in rice endosperm."
Nat Plants. 10:1231-1245 (2024). - 6.
*Nishio H, Kawakatsu T, Yamaguchi N.:
"Beyond heat waves: Unlocking epigenetic heat stress memory in Arabidopsis."
Plant Physiol. 194:1934-1951 (2024). - 7.
*Kawakatsu T, Teramoto S, Takayasu S, Maruyama N, Nishijima R, Kitomi Y, Uga Y.:
"The transcriptomic landscapes of rice cultivars with diverse root system architectures grown in upland field conditions."
Plant J. 106:1177-1190 (2021). - 8.
*Kawakatsu T, Nery JR, Castanon R, Ecker JR.:
"Dynamic DNA methylation reconfiguration during seed development and germination."
Genome Biol. 18:171 (2017). - 9.
*Kawakatsu T, Huang SC, Jupe F, Sasaki E, Schmitz RJ, Urich MA, Castanon R, Nery JR, Barragan C, He Y, Chen H, Dubin M, Lee CR, Wang C, Bemm F, Becker C, O'Neil R, O'Malley RC, Quarless DX; 1001 Genomes Consortium; Schork NJ, Weigel D, Nordborg M, Ecker JR.:
"Epigenomic Diversity in a Global Collection of Arabidopsis thaliana Accessions."
Cell. 166:492-505 (2016). - 10.
*Kawakatsu T, Stuart T, Valdes M, Breakfield N, Schmitz RJ, Nery JR, Urich MA, Han X, Lister R, Benfey PN, Ecker JR.:
"Unique cell-type-specific patterns of DNA methylation in the root meristem."
Nat Plants. 2:16058 (2016).
Recent Research Results
Apr. 5, 2013
BRC to provide seeds of model cereal plant
Related Links
Lab Members
Principal investigator
- Taiji Kawakatsu
- Division Director
Core members
- Satoshi Iuchi
- Senior Research Scientist
- Hiroshi Abe
- Senior Research Scientist
- Toshihiro Kobayashi
- Senior Research Scientist
- Mayumi Sugawara
- Expert Technician
- Atsuko Iuchi
- Technical Staff II
- Kanako Ishiyama
- Technical Staff II
- Fumie Mori
- Technical Staff II
- Yuri Shitomi
- Technical Staff II
- Yukie Aso
- Technical Staff II
- Atsuko Matsuda
- Technical Staff II
- Hiroko Saito
- Technical Staff II
- Yoshiko Asakura
- Technical Staff II
- Mamiko Kouzai
- Technical Staff II
- Chuan-Hsin Chang
- Technical Staff II
Contact Information
3-1-1 Koyadai
Tsukuba, Ibaraki
305-0074 Japan
Email: taiji.kawakatsu@riken.jp