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Shimojima Lab
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The lab studies the functions and evolution of lipids in plants and algae.
AboutAbout the lab
Unraveling the functions and evolution of plant lipids.
The Shimojima Lab studies how plants and algae synthesize and metabolize lipids, and what these lipids do.
Lipids not only store energy but also form biological membranes and play a role in transmitting signals.
The lab examines how plants change their lipids in response to environmental conditions such as temperature, drought, and nutrient deficiency.
Drawing on this knowledge, it also aims to build systems that let plants and algae produce large amounts of useful lipids.
Key terms
- Glycolipid
- A lipid with sugars attached. In plant leaves, glycolipids make up roughly half or more of the biological membranes
- Membrane lipid remodeling
- A plant response in which, under phosphorus deficiency, the phospholipids of biological membranes are degraded and replaced with glycolipids
- Oxylipin
- A physiologically active substance made from polyunsaturated fatty acids. It serves as a defense signal against wounds and pathogens
ResearchResearch themes
The lab aims to clarify the molecular mechanisms of lipid synthesis and metabolism in plants, as well as their functions and evolutionary history. It also applies the results to building systems for producing useful lipids in plants and algae.
*Illustrative imageMembrane lipid remodeling
Under phosphorus deficiency, plants degrade the phospholipids of their biological membranes and replace them with glycolipids, supplying phosphate inside the cell. The lab investigates in detail how plants respond to environmental stress through this membrane lipid remodeling.
*Illustrative imageGlycolipids
In plant leaves, glycolipids make up more than half of the biological membranes. The lab analyzes glycolipids recently found to be widely distributed, as well as those that accumulate in only small amounts, to understand how plants use them.
*Illustrative imageOxylipins
Oxylipins in plants, such as jasmonic acid, are signals that trigger defense responses to wounding, pathogens, and pests. The lab studies their synthesis and metabolic pathways in plants and algae, aiming to establish methods for efficiently producing useful oxylipins.
*Illustrative imageThe move of plants onto land
Charophytes, which diverged from aquatic green algae, are considered the ancestors of land plants. Using the charophyte Klebsormidium and the bryophyte Marchantia polymorpha (liverwort), the lab studies how plants adapted to the harsh environment on land.
MembersFaculty
The Shimojima Lab consists of faculty members, researchers, and doctoral, master's, and undergraduate students.
- Associate ProfessorMie ShimojimaPublications ↗
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “Arabidopsis thaliana flower” Peggy Greb, U.S. Department of Agriculture / Public domain (cropped)
- Membrane lipid remodeling: “Hlokozi - Acid-induced P deficiency” Alandmanson / CC0 (cropped)
- Glycolipids: “Moss chloroplasts 100× objective” Kelvinsong / CC BY 3.0 (cropped)
- Oxylipins: “Caterpillar feeding on Catharanthus roseus leaf WSC2025 Rahim Pinjari” RahimPinjari7483 / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- The move of plants onto land: “K. nitens NIES-2285 1” Koichi Hori / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Kamachi Lab): “Carboxyhemoglobin from 1AJ9” Rifleman 82 / CC BY-SA 3.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Masuda Lab): “Cyanobacteria guerrero negro” NASA / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Tanaka-Yoshida Lab): “Leaf epithelium, guard cells, stomatal pore and peripheral chloroplasts” Emilio Ermini / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Matsuura Lab): “Phosphatidylcholine liposomes at phase-contrast microscopy” ArkhipovSergey / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
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