Takanori SAITO

My research interest is "How do trees remember environmental signals?" During cold winter, buds cannot sprout even under favourable environmental conditions, which is called bud dormancy. For the restoration of bud growth competence, trees must memorize an adequate amount of chilling (1-2 months, depending on species and cultivars). To clarify the genetic background of long-term memory, I analyze the regulatory mechanism of bud dormancy relating genes from the perspective of histone modification (Plant Cell Environ. 2015) and chromatin remodelling (Plant Mol. Biol. 2017). Moreover, I started the analysis of chromatin dynamics by deep learning (artificial intelligence) for the identification of genetic targets in the breeding of less dormant cultivars.
Additionally, projects about controlling fruit ripening, especially grape and apple, are also underway (Hort. J. 2022: Acta Physiol. Plant. 2019: Plant Gene 2018). My results in grape aroma modulation using abscisic acid (ABA) are spotlighted in the field of fruit beer brewing and wine-making.