CV and abstract Ikuko Hara-Nishimura - B·Debate

SPEAKER AT:October, 2 nd and 3 rd , 2013, BarcelonaIkuko Hara-Nishimura, Professor at Kyoto University, Kyoto, JapanIkuko Hara-Nishimura received her Ph.D. in Osaka University. She was a researchassistant in Natural Institute for Basic Biology between 1990 and 1997, and then becameassociate professor until 1999. Since 1999 Ikuko Hara-Nishimura is Professor at KyotoUniversity. She received the Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists Award in 2013, thePrize for Science and Technology and the Commendation for Science and Technology byMEXT in 2007, and the Chunichi Cultural Prize in 2006. She currently is member ofReview Panel of MEXT (Government of Japan). She also was member of the Expert Panelon Basic Policy of Council for Science and Technology Policy at Cabinet Office(Government of Japan) between 2007 and 2011; the Review Panel of Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and Research Council between 2005 and 2009, and theReview Panel at Council for Science and Technology Policy in 2007 and 2008.

SPEAKER AT:October, 2 nd and 3 rd , 2013, BarcelonaEndomembrane Systems Responsible for Defense Strategies of PlantsPlant endomembranes including vacuoles and endoplasmic reticulum dynamically moveand change their shapes within the cells. Previously, we reported that plants use vacuolesfor cell autonomous plant immunity in two different ways. The first way involves fusion ofvacuolar membrane and plasma membrane, which is triggered by the a virulent bacteriainfection and allows vacuolar defense proteins to be discharged into the extracellular spacewhere the bacteria proliferate. The fusion of vacuolar and plasma membranes is induced ina proteasome-dependent manner. The second way is associated with vacuolar membranecollapse followed by the release of vacuolar hydrolytic enzymes into the cytosol, resultingin rapid and direct cell death. This way is effective in the digestion of viruses proliferatingin the cytosol. Intriguingly, both vacuole-mediated immune systems induce hypersensitivecell death by using caspase-like activities: caspase-3-like activity (DEVDase activity) ofproteasome subunit PBA1 causes the membrane fusion, while caspases-1-like activity(YVADase activity) of VPE causes the vacuolar membrane collapse. In this meeting, wealso touch on another ingenious two-compartment immune system, in which betaglucosidasesin the ER bodies of epidermal cells of roots and the vacuoles of myrosin cellsof leaves are sequestered from their glucosinolate substrate. When cells are ruptured byherbivores, myrosinase converts the substrates into a toxic compound. These resultsprovide an idea that plants use the vacuoles differently depending on the type ofpathogenic organisms.