Recognizing featured Plant Cell first authors: Shoji Segami

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Shoji Segami, first author of Vacuolar H+-pyrophosphatase and Cytosolic Soluble Pyrophosphatases Cooperatively Regulate Pyrophosphate Levels in Arabidopsis thaliana

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan

Education: PhD, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan.

Non-scientific Interests: Playing saxophone (classical) and gardening, particularly succulents and carnivorous plants.

 I acquired master and doctoral degrees at Prof. Maeshima lab, and I am now engaged in research as assistant professor. I have studied the H+- PPase for several years, and now focused on PPi metabolism in collaboration with Dr. Ali Ferjani. In this study, I revealed the importance of the cooperative contribution of soluble PPases and H+-PPase in PPi homeostasis. I want to further shed light on PPi world, which has been somewhat hidden in the shadow of ATP. Also, I previously reported that the structure of plant vacuoles is affected in transgenic plants by the dimerization of GFP attached to H+-PPase (Segami et al., 2014, Plant Cell). Even now regular GFP, which has a dimeric site, is still in use worldwide. Contributing to the eradication of this issue is another personal goal.