RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science Plant Immunity Research Group

Group Director: Ken Shirasu (Ph.D.)

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Research Summary

Our group’s ultimate goal is to fully describe functions of genes, proteins and small molecular compounds that are essential for immunity in plants. As the first step, we focus on regulatory mechanism of immunity by studying dynamics of resistance signaling complexes and protein modifications that control defense responses. In addition, we plan to identify novel genes involved in plant immunity by isolating defense mutants in model plants. We also collaborate with the Metabolomics Research Group to isolate small molecule compounds involved in disease resistance.

Main Research Fields

Biology

Related Research Fields

Agricultural Sciences

Keywords

Plant Immunity
Plant-Microbe Interactions
Genomics
Plant Chemical Biology
Signal Transduction

Selected Publications

1.Kumakura, N., Motoyama,T., Miyazawa, K., Nogawa, T., Yonehara,K., Sakai, K., Ishihama, N., Matsumori, K., Gan, P., Koshino,H., Fukuma, T., O'Connell, R.J., Shirasu, K.:
"Dihydroxyhexanoic acid biosynthesis controls turgor in pathogenic fungi."
Science 391: 700-706. (2026)
2.Ngou, B.P.M., Wyler, M., Schmid, M.W., Suzuki, T., Albert, M., Dohmae, N., Kadota, Y., Shirasu, K.:
"Systematic discovery and engineering of synthetic immune receptors in plants."
Science 389: eadx2508. (2025)
3.Iino, E., Kadota, Y., Maki, N., Sato, K., Ono, E., Ishihama, N., Rugen-Hankey, M., Wei, S., Ngou, B.P.M., Kumakura, N., Schmid, M.W., Eves-van den Akker, S, Suzuki, T., Uehara, T., Shirasu, K.:
"A trehalase-derived MAMP triggers LecRK-V-mediated immune responses in Arabidopsis."
Science Advance 11: eadv8896. (2025)
4.Fishman, M.R., Greifenhagen, A., Wakatake, T., Laohavisit, A., Hiroyama, R., Masuda, S., Shibata, A., Yoshida, S., Shirasu, K.:
"Neofunctionalized RGF pathways drive haustorial organogenesis in parasitic plants."
Science Advance 11: eadw39. (2025)
5.Xiang, L., Cui, S., Saucet, S.B., Takahashi, M., Inaba, S., Xie, B., Schilder, M., Shimada, S., Cui, M., Watanabe, M., Tobimatsu, Y., Bouwmeester, H.J., Tohge, T., Shirasu, K., Yoshida, Y.:
"Glucosylation of endogenous haustorium inducing factors underpins kin avoidance in parasitic plants."
Science 390: 405-410. (2025)
6.Ngou, B.P.M., Wyler, M., Schmid, M. W., Kadota, Y, Shirasu, K.:
"Evolutionary trajectory of pattern recognition receptors in plants."
Nature Comm. 15: 308. (2024)
7.Goto, Y., Kadota, Y., Mbengue, M., Lewis, J.D., Matsui, H., Maki, N., Sklenar, J., et al.:
"The leucine-rich repeat receptor kinase QSK1 is a novel regulator of PRR-RBOHD complex and is employed by the bacterial effector HopF2Pto to modulate plant immunity."
Plant Cell 36: 4932-4951. (2024)
8.Ogawa, S., Cui, S., White, A. R. F., Nelson, D.C., Yoshida, Y., Shirasu, K.:
"Strigolactones are chemoattractants for host tropism in Orobanchaceae parasitic plants."
Nature Comm. 13: 4653. (2022)
9.Ishihama, N., Choi, S-W., Noutoshi, Y., Saska, I., Asai, S., Takizawa, K., He., S.Y., Osada, H., Shirasu, K.:
"Oxicam-type nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs inhibit NPR1-mediated salicylic acid pathway."
Nature Comm. 12: 7303. (2021)
10.Laohavisit A, Wakatake T, Ishihama N, Mulvey H, Takizawa K, Suzuki T, Shirasu K.:
"Quinone perception in plants via leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinases."
Nature 587: 92-97. (2020)