Leaf variegation resulting from nuclear gene mutations has been used as a model system to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chloroplast development. Since most variegation genes also function in photosynthesis, it...Leaf variegation resulting from nuclear gene mutations has been used as a model system to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chloroplast development. Since most variegation genes also function in photosynthesis, it remains unknown whether their roles in photosynthesis and chloroplast development are distinct. Here, using the variegation mutant thylakoid formation1 （thfl） we show that variegation formation is light independent. It was found that slow and uneven chloroplast development in thfl can be attributed to defects in etioplast development in darkness. Ultrastructural analysis showed the coexistence of plastids with or without prolamellar bodies （PLB） in cells of thfl, but not of WT. Although THF1 mutation leads to significant decreases in the levels of Pchlide and Pchliide oxidoreductase （POR） expression, genetic and 5-aminolevulinic acid （ALA）-feeding analysis did not reveal Pchlide or POR to be critical factors for etioplast formation in thfl. Northern blot analysis showed that plastid gene expression is dramatically reduced in thfl compared with that in WT, particularly in the dark. Our results also indicate that chlorophyll biosynthesis and expression of plastidic genes are coordinately suppressed in thfl. Based on these results, we propose a model to explain leaf variegation formation from the plastid development perspective.展开更多
VAR2 is an integral thylakoid membrane protein and a member of the versatile FtsH class of metalloproteases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recessive mutations in the VAR2 locus give rise to variegated plants （var2） ...VAR2 is an integral thylakoid membrane protein and a member of the versatile FtsH class of metalloproteases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recessive mutations in the VAR2 locus give rise to variegated plants （var2） that contain white sectors with abnormal plastids and green sectors with normal-appearing chloroplasts. In a continuing effort to isolate second-site suppressors of var2 variegation, we characterize in this report ems2505, a suppressor strain that has a virescent phenotype due to a missense mutation in At4g28590, the gene for a pioneer protein. We designated this gene SVR4 （for SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION4） and the mutant allele in ems2505 as svr4-1. We demonstrate that SVR4 is located in chloroplasts and that svr4-1 single mutants are normal with respect to chloroplast anatomy and thylakoid membrane protein accumulation. However, they are modestly impaired in several aspects of photochemistry and have enhanced non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） capacity. A T-DNA insertion allele of SVR4, svr4-2, is seedling-lethal due to an early blockage of chloroplast development. We conclude that SVR4 is essential for chloroplast biogenesis, and hypothesize that SVR4 mediates some aspect of thylakoid structure or function that controls NPQ. We propose that in the suppressor strain, photoinhibitory pressure caused by a lack of VAR2 is ameliorated early in chloroplast development by enhanced NPQ capacity caused by reduced SVR4 activity. This would result in an increase in the number of chloroplasts that are able to surmount a threshold necessary to avoid photo-damage and thereby develop into functional chloroplasts.展开更多
Plants contain various factors that transiently interact with subunits or intermediates of the thylakoid multiprotein complexes, promoting their stable association and integration. Hence, assembly factors are essentia...Plants contain various factors that transiently interact with subunits or intermediates of the thylakoid multiprotein complexes, promoting their stable association and integration. Hence, assembly factors are essential for chloroplast development and the transition from heterotrophic to phototrophic growth. Snowy cotyledon 2 （SCO2） is a DNAJ-like protein involved in thylakoid membrane biogenesis and interacts with the light-harvesting chlorophyll-binding protein LHCBI. In Arabidopsis thaliana, SCO2 function was previ- ously reported to be restricted to cotyledons. Here we show that disruption of SC02 in Lotus japonicus results not only in paler cotyledons but also in variegated true leaves. Furthermore, smaller and pale- green true leaves can also be observed in A. thaliana sco2 （atsco2） mutants under short-day conditions. In both species, SCO2 is required for proper accumulation of PSlI-LHCll complexes. In contrast to other variegated mutants, inhibition of chloroplastic translation strongly affects L. japonicus sco2 mutant devel- opment and fails to suppress their variegated phenotype. Moreover, inactivation of the suppressor of variegation AtClpR1 in the atsco2 background results in an additive double-mutant phenotype with variegated true leaves. Taken together, our results indicate that SCO2 plays a distinct role in PSll assembly or repair and constitutes a novel factor involved in leaf variegation.展开更多
Arabidopsis thaliana L. yellow variegated （var2） mutant is defective in a chloroplast FtsH family metalloprotease, AtFtsH2/VAR2, and displays an intriguing green and white leaf variegation. This unique var2-mediated...Arabidopsis thaliana L. yellow variegated （var2） mutant is defective in a chloroplast FtsH family metalloprotease, AtFtsH2/VAR2, and displays an intriguing green and white leaf variegation. This unique var2-mediated leaf variegation offers a simple yet powerful tool for dissecting the genetic regulation of chloroplast development. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new var2 suppressor gene, SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGA TION8 （SVR8）, which encodes a putative chloroplast ribosomal large subunit protein, L24. Mutations in SVR8 suppress var2 leaf variegation at ambient temperature and partially suppress the cold-induced chlorosis phenotype of var2. Loss of SVR8 causes unique chloroplast rRNA processing defects, particularly the 23S-4.5S dicistronic precursor. The recovery of the major abnormal processing site in svr823S-4.5S precursor indicate that it does not lie in the same position where SVR8/L24 binds on the ribosome. Surprisingly, we found that the loss of a chloroplast ribosomal small subunit protein, $21, results in aberrant chloroplast rRNA processing but not suppression of var2 variegation. These findings suggest that the disruption of specific aspects of chloroplast translation, rather than a general impairment in chloroplast translation, suppress var2variegation and the existence of complex genetic interactions in chloroplast development.展开更多
The development of a plant leaf is a meticulously orchestrated sequence of events producing a complex organ comprising diverse cell types. The reticulate class of leaf variegation mutants displays contrasting pigmenta...The development of a plant leaf is a meticulously orchestrated sequence of events producing a complex organ comprising diverse cell types. The reticulate class of leaf variegation mutants displays contrasting pigmentation between veins and interveinal regions due to specific aberrations in the development of mesophyll cells. Thus, the reticulate mutants offer a potent tool to investigate cell-type-specific developmental processes. The discovery that most mutants are affected in plastid-localized, metabolic pathways that are strongly expressed in vasculature-associated tis- sues implicates a crucial role for the bundle sheath and their chloroplasts in proper development of the mesophyll cells. Here, we review the reticulate mutants and their phenotypic characteristics, with a focus on those in Arabidopsis thali- ana. Two alternative models have been put forward to explain the relationship between plastid metabolism and meso- phyll cell development, which we call here the supply and the signaling hypotheses. We critically assess these proposed models and discuss their implications for leaf development and bundle sheath function in C3 species. The characteriza- tion of the reticulate mutants supports the significance of plastid retrograde signaling in cell development and highlights the significance of the bundle sheath in C3 photosynthesis.展开更多
基金supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (2007CB108800 and 2009CB118504 to J. H.)Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (09ZR1436300 to L. Z.)National Special Grantfor Transgenic Crops (2009ZX08009-081B to J. H.)
文摘Leaf variegation resulting from nuclear gene mutations has been used as a model system to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chloroplast development. Since most variegation genes also function in photosynthesis, it remains unknown whether their roles in photosynthesis and chloroplast development are distinct. Here, using the variegation mutant thylakoid formation1 （thfl） we show that variegation formation is light independent. It was found that slow and uneven chloroplast development in thfl can be attributed to defects in etioplast development in darkness. Ultrastructural analysis showed the coexistence of plastids with or without prolamellar bodies （PLB） in cells of thfl, but not of WT. Although THF1 mutation leads to significant decreases in the levels of Pchlide and Pchliide oxidoreductase （POR） expression, genetic and 5-aminolevulinic acid （ALA）-feeding analysis did not reveal Pchlide or POR to be critical factors for etioplast formation in thfl. Northern blot analysis showed that plastid gene expression is dramatically reduced in thfl compared with that in WT, particularly in the dark. Our results also indicate that chlorophyll biosynthesis and expression of plastidic genes are coordinately suppressed in thfl. Based on these results, we propose a model to explain leaf variegation formation from the plastid development perspective.
文摘VAR2 is an integral thylakoid membrane protein and a member of the versatile FtsH class of metalloproteases in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Recessive mutations in the VAR2 locus give rise to variegated plants （var2） that contain white sectors with abnormal plastids and green sectors with normal-appearing chloroplasts. In a continuing effort to isolate second-site suppressors of var2 variegation, we characterize in this report ems2505, a suppressor strain that has a virescent phenotype due to a missense mutation in At4g28590, the gene for a pioneer protein. We designated this gene SVR4 （for SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGATION4） and the mutant allele in ems2505 as svr4-1. We demonstrate that SVR4 is located in chloroplasts and that svr4-1 single mutants are normal with respect to chloroplast anatomy and thylakoid membrane protein accumulation. However, they are modestly impaired in several aspects of photochemistry and have enhanced non-photochemical quenching （NPQ） capacity. A T-DNA insertion allele of SVR4, svr4-2, is seedling-lethal due to an early blockage of chloroplast development. We conclude that SVR4 is essential for chloroplast biogenesis, and hypothesize that SVR4 mediates some aspect of thylakoid structure or function that controls NPQ. We propose that in the suppressor strain, photoinhibitory pressure caused by a lack of VAR2 is ameliorated early in chloroplast development by enhanced NPQ capacity caused by reduced SVR4 activity. This would result in an increase in the number of chloroplasts that are able to surmount a threshold necessary to avoid photo-damage and thereby develop into functional chloroplasts.
文摘Plants contain various factors that transiently interact with subunits or intermediates of the thylakoid multiprotein complexes, promoting their stable association and integration. Hence, assembly factors are essential for chloroplast development and the transition from heterotrophic to phototrophic growth. Snowy cotyledon 2 （SCO2） is a DNAJ-like protein involved in thylakoid membrane biogenesis and interacts with the light-harvesting chlorophyll-binding protein LHCBI. In Arabidopsis thaliana, SCO2 function was previ- ously reported to be restricted to cotyledons. Here we show that disruption of SC02 in Lotus japonicus results not only in paler cotyledons but also in variegated true leaves. Furthermore, smaller and pale- green true leaves can also be observed in A. thaliana sco2 （atsco2） mutants under short-day conditions. In both species, SCO2 is required for proper accumulation of PSlI-LHCll complexes. In contrast to other variegated mutants, inhibition of chloroplastic translation strongly affects L. japonicus sco2 mutant devel- opment and fails to suppress their variegated phenotype. Moreover, inactivation of the suppressor of variegation AtClpR1 in the atsco2 background results in an additive double-mutant phenotype with variegated true leaves. Taken together, our results indicate that SCO2 plays a distinct role in PSll assembly or repair and constitutes a novel factor involved in leaf variegation.
基金supported by funds from National Natural Science Foundation of China to F.Y. (31071073 31170219) and to X.L. (31100864)+2 种基金by Chinese Ministry of Education Program of New Century Excellent Talents in University (NCET 09 0657) to F.Yby funding to S.R. from the US Department of Energy Energy Biosciences panel (DE FG02 94ER20147)
文摘Arabidopsis thaliana L. yellow variegated （var2） mutant is defective in a chloroplast FtsH family metalloprotease, AtFtsH2/VAR2, and displays an intriguing green and white leaf variegation. This unique var2-mediated leaf variegation offers a simple yet powerful tool for dissecting the genetic regulation of chloroplast development. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of a new var2 suppressor gene, SUPPRESSOR OF VARIEGA TION8 （SVR8）, which encodes a putative chloroplast ribosomal large subunit protein, L24. Mutations in SVR8 suppress var2 leaf variegation at ambient temperature and partially suppress the cold-induced chlorosis phenotype of var2. Loss of SVR8 causes unique chloroplast rRNA processing defects, particularly the 23S-4.5S dicistronic precursor. The recovery of the major abnormal processing site in svr823S-4.5S precursor indicate that it does not lie in the same position where SVR8/L24 binds on the ribosome. Surprisingly, we found that the loss of a chloroplast ribosomal small subunit protein, $21, results in aberrant chloroplast rRNA processing but not suppression of var2 variegation. These findings suggest that the disruption of specific aspects of chloroplast translation, rather than a general impairment in chloroplast translation, suppress var2variegation and the existence of complex genetic interactions in chloroplast development.
文摘The development of a plant leaf is a meticulously orchestrated sequence of events producing a complex organ comprising diverse cell types. The reticulate class of leaf variegation mutants displays contrasting pigmentation between veins and interveinal regions due to specific aberrations in the development of mesophyll cells. Thus, the reticulate mutants offer a potent tool to investigate cell-type-specific developmental processes. The discovery that most mutants are affected in plastid-localized, metabolic pathways that are strongly expressed in vasculature-associated tis- sues implicates a crucial role for the bundle sheath and their chloroplasts in proper development of the mesophyll cells. Here, we review the reticulate mutants and their phenotypic characteristics, with a focus on those in Arabidopsis thali- ana. Two alternative models have been put forward to explain the relationship between plastid metabolism and meso- phyll cell development, which we call here the supply and the signaling hypotheses. We critically assess these proposed models and discuss their implications for leaf development and bundle sheath function in C3 species. The characteriza- tion of the reticulate mutants supports the significance of plastid retrograde signaling in cell development and highlights the significance of the bundle sheath in C3 photosynthesis.
