摘要
PPF1 is a vegetative growth related gene that encodes a putative membrane protein having high homology with Arabidopsis chloroplast thylakoid protein ALB3. Immunoelectron microscopic assay showed that PPF1 was mainly localized in the thylakold membrane and was highly expressed in well-developed chloroplasts of short day (SD) grown G2 pea while having a very low abundance in chloroplasts of long day (LD) grown plants two weeks after flowering. Comparison of the leaf senescence processes in transgenic Arabidopsis and wild type plants revealed that overexpression of PPF1 delayed leaf senescence, while the depression of its Arabidopsts homologue (ALB3) with PPF1 antisense mRNA accelerated leaf senescence obviously. Ultrastructural analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis plants showed that when PPF1 was overexpressed in Arabidopsis, the chloroplasts were bigger and had much more grana and stroma thylakoid membranes than those of wild type plants. On the contrary, when PPF1 was expressed in antisense orientation to reduce the level of PPF1 homologue in Arabidopsis, the transgenic plants had smaller chloroplasts With less grana. and poorly developed thylakoid membrane systems. These results suggested that the developmental status of chloroplasts was positively correlated with the level of PPF1 or its Arabidopsts homologue, ALB3. Our results suggested that PPF1 gene might regulate plant development by controlling chloroplast development.
PPF1是一个与植物营养生长相关的基因。它编码的产物可能是一个膜蛋白并与拟南芥叶绿体中的类囊体蛋白ALB3有很高的同源性。免疫电镜分析表明PPF1蛋白同样主要定位于类囊体膜 ,而且在短日照G2豌豆开花两周后仍发育良好的叶绿体中有很高的表达 ,在长日照豌豆同时期非正常叶绿体中丰度非常低。对转基因拟南芥和野生型植株的叶片衰老进程比较发现 ,PPF1在拟南芥中的过量表达可以延缓叶片的衰老 ,而用PPF1反义mRNA抑制拟南芥中的同源基因ALB3则明显加快叶片衰老速度。对转基因拟南芥的超微结构分析显示 ,PPF1在拟南芥中过量表达时 ,转基因植株的叶绿体比野生型植株的叶绿体大并含有更多的基粒和基质类囊体膜 ;相反 ,反义PPF1表达抑制其在拟南芥中的同源物时 ,转基因植株的叶绿体比野生型植株的叶绿体小并含有较少的基粒和发育较差的类囊体膜系统。这些数据表明叶绿体的发育状况与PPF1或拟南芥同源物ALB3的表达水平呈正相关。我们的结果提示PPF1基因可能通过控制叶绿体的发育状况来调节植物的发育。
