Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists Award
New development from the discovery of dividing apparatus of mitochondria and plastids to organelle biology- on the complete sequence of 3 genomes in the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae (Schyzon) as a construction basis of the eukaryotic cell-

Abstract

Mitochondria and plastids (organelles) were derived from free-living bacteria. They play the roles as energy converters after division. The mechanism of organelle division is unknown for long time. I discovered that mitochondrial and plastid divisions can be clearly separated into organelle nuclear (nucleoidal) division and organellokinesis (mitochondriokinesis and plastidokinesis). The mechanical apparatus that regulates organellokinesis has remained undetermined. In 1986, the plastid-dividing apparatus (PD ring) for plastidokinesis and in 1993, the mitochondrial-dividing apparatus (MD ring) for mitochondriokinesis were first identified by me in the red algae. Moreover, recent studies (2001, 2003)have revealed that bacterial FtsZ ring forms in stroma whereas dynamin ring functions at the cytosolic or stromal side of the division site. These results showed that the dynamic trio:FtsZ, PD/MD and dynamin rings control the organelle division. The information of 3 genomes in Cyanidioschyzon merolae to be sequenced will help elucidate the fundamental mechanisms of eukaryotic cells.