Article
Microbiology
Vignesh M. P. Babu, Siva Sankari, Anubrata Ghosal, Graham C. Walker
Summary: This study provides insights into the roles of Era and YbeY in ribosome assembly and 16S rRNA processing, and identifies that the T99I mutation can partially suppress the pleiotropic phenotypes caused by ybeY deletion.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mengmeng Kong, Yaozong Wu, Ziyuan Wang, Wantong Qu, Yixin Lan, Xin Chen, Yanyun Liu, Perveen Shahnaz, Zhongnan Yang, Qingbo Yu, Hualing Mi
Summary: The RP8 gene is crucial for the processing of the rpoA transcript in Arabidopsis chloroplasts, affecting gene expression and chloroplast development.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Aaron R. D'Souza, Lindsey Van Haute, Christopher A. Powell, Christian D. Mutti, Petra Palenikova, Pedro Rebelo-Guiomar, Joanna Rorbach, Michal Minczuk
Summary: Mitochondria have their own translation apparatus for producing polypeptides, with the protein YbeY playing a crucial role in mitoribosome biogenesis. Loss of YbeY leads to reduced mitochondrial translation and loss of cell viability, indicating its important functions in RNA processing and mitoribosome maturation.
NUCLEIC ACIDS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Mei Fu, Xiaona Lin, Yining Zhou, Chunmei Zhang, Bing Liu, Dongru Feng, Jinfa Wang, Hongbin Wang, Honglei Jin
Summary: RNA editing is essential for compensating for defects or mutations in haploid organelle genomes. In this study, OTP970, a plastid-targeted PPR protein, was identified as a key player in RNA editing in plastids. The DYW domain of OTP970 was found to be essential for its function.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mingjiu Li, Hannes Ruwe, Michael Melzer, Astrid Junker, Goetz Hensel, Henning Tschiersch, Serena Schwenkert, Sindy Chamas, Christian Schmitz-Linneweber, Thomas Boerner, Nils Stein
Summary: The Arabidopsis gene CIA2 and its paralogous gene CIL encode transcription factors that positively affect the activity of nuclear genes for chloroplast functions and protein import machineries. In addition, it was observed that the CIL gene showed nuclear localization when transiently expressed in Arabidopsis protoplasts.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yan Zhao, Wei Xu, Yongzhong Zhang, Shilei Sun, Lijing Wang, Shiyi Zhong, Xiangyu Zhao, Baoshen Liu
Summary: Chloroplasts are crucial for plant growth and development, and the mutation of the PPR647 gene disrupts the expression of chloroplast genes, leading to defects in chloroplast development and abnormal plant growth.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ayako Okuzaki, Thilo Ruhle, Dario Leister, Christian Schmitz-Linneweber
Summary: The study reveals that the processing of chloroplast RNA relies on a large number of nuclear-encoded RNA-binding proteins, with the CP31A protein playing a crucial role in chloroplast development under low temperature conditions. The acidic domain of CP31A shows significant differences in function in RNA metabolism and cold resistance, with different functions associated with different regions of the protein.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Haiyan Zhang, Xiaoting Li, Yebitao Yang, Kaining Hu, Xianming Zhou, Jing Wen, Bin Yi, Jinxiong Shen, Chaozhi Ma, Tingdong Fu, Jinxing Tu
Summary: In this study, we characterized a rapeseed mutant, ytg, and identified a chloroplast protein BnaA02.YTG1 involved in photosynthesis. We demonstrated that BnaA02.YTG1 affects the posttranscriptional regulation of plastid gene expression and participates in RNA editing events.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jessica A. S. Barros, Sahar Magen, Taly Lapidot-Cohen, Leah Rosental, Yariv Brotman, Wagner L. Araujo, Tamar Avin-Wittenberg
Summary: Autophagy is a conserved mechanism in eukaryotic cells that mediates the degradation of cytoplasmic components, and in plants it is associated with protein recycling during carbon-starvation conditions. The study found that autophagy plays a role in maintaining the homeostasis of multiple lipid components under dark-induced senescence, suggesting a metabolic reprogramming towards lipid storage in autophagy mutants. The imbalance of lipid metabolism in autophagy mutants compromises the production of cytosolic lipid droplets and the regulation of peroxisomal lipid oxidation pathways.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paula Clemente, Javier Calvo-Garrido, Sarah F. Pearce, Florian A. Schober, Megumi Shigematsu, Stefan J. Siira, Isabelle Laine, Henrik Spahr, Christian Steinmetzger, Katja Petzold, Yohei Kirino, Rolf Wibom, Oliver Rackham, Aleksandra Filipovska, Joanna Rorbach, Christoph Freyer, Anna Wredenberg
Summary: Using Drosophila and mouse models, this study demonstrates that non-canonical RNA processing in mammalian mitochondria results in the formation of 3' phosphates, which are hydrolyzed by the phosphatase activity of the carbon catabolite repressor 4 domain-containing family member ANGEL2. The findings also suggest the involvement of the FAST kinase domain-containing protein family in the generation of these 3' phosphates.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mason A. A. McCool, Carson J. J. Bryant, Hannah Huang, Lisa M. M. Ogawa, Katherine I. I. Farley-Barnes, Samuel B. B. Sondalle, Laura Abriola, Yulia V. V. Surovtseva, Susan J. J. Baserga
Summary: The U3 Associated Proteins (UTPs) are highly conserved components of eukaryotic ribosome biogenesis. While the counterparts of most yeast Utps have been identified in humans, the homologs of Utp9 and Bud21 have remained elusive. In this study, NOL7 is identified as the likely ortholog of Bud21 and is shown to be required for early pre-rRNA accumulation and processing in human cells.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Louise Chambon, Francois-Xavier Gillet, Maha Chieb, David Cobessi, Thomas Pfannschmidt, Robert Blanvillain
Summary: Chloroplast biogenesis relies on a complex transcriptional program that involves coordinated expression of plastid and nuclear genes. The researchers discovered that some plastid-encoded RNA polymerase subunits (PAPs) are present in the nucleus and may play a nuclear function in efficient chloroplast formation. They also found that PAP8 can form a large nuclear subcomplex with other subunits of the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase. Additionally, PAP8 exhibits structural homology with a rhinoviral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase. This study provides insights into the important role of PAP8 in chloroplast formation.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Ivan Kashkan, Monika Hrtyan, Katarzyna Retzer, Jana Humpolickova, Aswathy Jayasree, Roberta Filepova, Zuzana Vondrakova, Sibu Simon, Debbie Rombaut, Thomas B. Jacobs, Mikko J. Frilander, Jan Hejatko, Jiri Friml, Jan Petrasek, Kamil Ruzicka
Summary: Advanced transcriptome sequencing has shown that alternative splicing of eukaryotic genes plays a crucial role in plant hormone transport. Specifically, in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, alternative splicing of the PIN7 gene affects the transport of the plant hormone auxin, influencing root bending in seedlings and auxin-mediated responses.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yu Ogawa, Megumi Iwano, Toshiharu Shikanai, Wataru Sakamoto
Summary: This study re-evaluated the role of FUZZY ONION LIKE (FZL) protein in regulating thylakoid membrane structure and photosynthesis in plants. The researchers found that FZL is localized on the curved edges of the thylakoid membrane, potentially mediating fusion between grana and stroma lamellae. Mutations in FZL resulted in altered thylakoid morphology and disruptions in photosynthesis.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Marcela Davalos Tournaire, Lars B. Scharff, Manuela Kramer, Tatjana Goss, Linda Vuorijoki, Melvin Rodriguez-Heredia, Sam Wilson, Inga Kruse, Alexander Ruban, L. Janneke Balk, Toshiharu Hase, Poul-Erik Jensen, Guy T. Hanke
Summary: In this study, a viable fdC2 mutant line with near-depleted FdC2 protein levels was generated using RNAi silencing in Arabidopsis thaliana. The mutant leaves showed a decrease of approximately 50% in chlorophyll a and b, and the chloroplasts had poorly developed thylakoid membrane structure. Transcriptomics analysis revealed upregulation of stress response genes. Contrary to previous literature, the mutant plants exhibited the same recovery rate as the wild type at photosystem II (PSII) in the dark, indicating that FdC2 may not regulate translation of the D1 subunit of PSII by binding to psbA transcript. Measurement of chlorophyll biosynthesis intermediates showed an accumulation of Mg-protoporphyrin IX, the substrate of the aerobic cyclase. Furthermore, FdC2 was localized to the inner chloroplast envelope and the FdC2 RNAi line exhibited a disproportionately lower protein abundance of antennae proteins, which undergo refolding at the envelope after import.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mengting Wu, Qi Zhang, Yi Dong, Zican Wang, Wenqin Zhan, Zebin Ke, Shengchun Li, Lin He, Stephanie Ruf, Ralph Bock, Jiang Zhang
Summary: Spider mites take up plastid RNA upon feeding. Transplastomic plants expressing dsRNA targeted against spider mite beta-Actin mRNA showed high levels of resistance to spider mites and induced a more robust RNAi response compared to nuclear transgenic plants expressing dsRNA. This study demonstrates the potential of PM-RNAi as an efficient pest control measure for spider mites.
Article
Plant Sciences
Andre Vidal-Meireles, Soujanya Kuntam, Eszter Szeles, David Toth, Juliane Neupert, Ralph Bock, Szilvia Z. Toth
Summary: The lifetime of PSBO in green algae is strongly influenced by light intensity and carbon availability. It is crucial for the stability of photosystem II and loss of PSBO leads to significant changes in cell morphology and cell cycle.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Rabea Ghandour, Yang Gao, Josephin Laskowski, Rouhollah Barahimipour, Stephanie Ruf, Ralph Bock, Reimo Zoschke
Summary: In plant biotechnology, the expression of transgenes in chloroplasts is common practice. However, the potential unintended effects on native chloroplast genes are often overlooked. This study examined the expression of the chloroplast genome in transplastomic tobacco plants and found that transgene insertion can lead to overexpression of downstream genes and interfere with the transcription and translation of nearby genes. The study suggests strategies to minimize unintended consequences of transgene expression on native chloroplast genes.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Deserah D. Strand, Daniel Karcher, Stephanie Ruf, Anne Schadach, Mark A. Schoettler, Omar Sandoval-Ibanez, David Hall, David M. Kramer, Ralph Bock
Summary: Understanding the regulation of photosynthetic light harvesting and electron transfer is crucial to improving the electron transport chain for downstream metabolism. ATP synthase, a central regulator of the chain, is thermodynamically and post-translationally regulated, with proposed phosphorylation sites. This study focused on the N-terminal serines on the catalytic subunit beta in tobacco, previously suggested to be important for dark inactivation of ATP synthase. The findings show that phosphorylation may not play a clear role in dark inactivation, but loss of N-terminal phosphorylation affects ATP synthase accumulation during assembly.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yi Sun, Zujie Yao, Yiting Ye, Jun Fang, Honglin Chen, Yuping Lyu, William Broad, Marjorie Fournier, Genyun Chen, Yonghong Hu, Shabaz Mohammed, Qihua Ling, R. Paul Jarvis
Summary: This study demonstrates the role of the nucleocytosolic ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) in regulating photosynthesis within endosymbiotically derived chloroplasts, through protein degradation.
Review
Plant Sciences
Yi Sun, R. Paul Jarvis
Summary: Chloroplasts are plant organelles responsible for photosynthesis and other vital functions, and their complex proteome is controlled by diverse processes of protein translocation and degradation. Most chloroplast proteins are imported from the cytosol and then sorted to different organellar subcompartments. Chloroplast proteolysis involves proteases of prokaryotic origin and the nucleocytosolic ubiquitin-proteasome system, which regulate protein import and reconfigure chloroplast functions in response to developmental and environmental signals.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Soualihou Soualiou, Fengying Duan, Xia Li, Wenbin Zhou
Summary: When provided with adequate nitrogen, maize seedlings exhibit increased cold-related growth and acclimation. High nitrogen supply alleviates cold stress-dependent growth inhibition, represses cold stress-induced ABA accumulation, and improves the recovery ability of maize seedlings after cold stress, indicating its potential role in cold stress tolerance.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rudan Geng, Xiaoqing Pang, Xia Li, Shanshan Shi, Boris Hedtke, Bernhard Grimm, Ralph Bock, Jirong Huang, Wenbin Zhou
Summary: This study investigates the role of chloroplast-localized gene PCD8 in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis (TBS) and reveals its interaction with ClpC1 and several TBS enzymes. The findings uncover the function of PCD8 and provide a new perspective for understanding the molecular regulation of TBS in plants.
Review
Plant Sciences
Hang Su, Andre van Eerde, Espen Rimstad, Ralph Bock, Norica Branza-Nichita, Igor A. Yakovlev, Jihong Liu Clarke
Summary: Plants are valuable sources of food, feed, herbal medicines, and raw materials for industry. They can also serve as green factories for producing biopharmaceuticals and vaccines. Plant-based production platforms offer advantages such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and safety. Recent developments include plant-made vaccines for COVID-19 and Ebola, as well as clinical trials for plant-made influenza vaccines.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Xia Li, Jing Li, Shaobo Wei, Yuan Gao, Hongcui Pei, Rudan Geng, Zefu Lu, Peng Wang, Wenbin Zhou
Summary: Drought is a severe abiotic stress in agricultural production worldwide. The expression of ZmGLK transcription factors can improve stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity in rice under field conditions. ZmGLK regulates stomatal closure mediated by ABA, resulting in increased drought tolerance in rice. Furthermore, ZmGLK is involved in regulating ABA-related and stress-responsive pathways, with four upregulated genes identified as potential targets of ZmGLK. Maize GLK proteins play an essential role in coordinating stomatal movements, photosynthesis, and stress tolerance in rice.
Article
Plant Sciences
Julia Smirnova, Justus Loerke, Gunnar Kleinau, Andrea Schmidt, Joerg Buerger, Etienne H. Meyer, Thorsten Mielke, Patrick Scheerer, Ralph Bock, Christian M. T. Spahn, Reimo Zoschke
Summary: Translation in plant cells occurs in three compartments, and this study focuses on the structure of the 80S ribosomes in the cytosol. By using cryo-electron microscopy, the researchers solved the structure of translating tobacco ribosomes and gained insights into the molecular underpinnings of cytosolic translation in plants.
Article
Agronomy
Fengyi Gao, Liang Zhang, James R. Lloyd, Wenbin Zhou, Yanmei Chen
Summary: This article summarizes the complex functions of protein phosphorylation in plant metabolism and discusses how key kinases regulate carbohydrate metabolic pathways and their impact on plant physiology and crop quality.
Article
Plant Sciences
Joachim Forner, Dennis Kleinschmidt, Etienne H. Meyer, Axel Fischer, Robert Morbitzer, Thomas Lahaye, Mark A. Schoettler, Ralph Bock
Summary: This study presents a method for targeted mutagenesis of plant mitochondrial DNA using transcription activator-like effector nuclease (TALEN) gene-drive mutagenesis (GDM). The method combines TALEN-induced site-specific DNA cleavage with selection for mutations that confer resistance to the TALEN cut, resulting in genetically stable plants with edited mitochondrial genomes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Sarah Frusciante, Olivia Costantina Demurtas, Maria Sulli, Paola Mini, Giuseppe Aprea, Gianfranco Diretto, Daniel Karcher, Ralph Bock, Giovanni Giuliano
Summary: The study discovered an enzyme in Bixa orellana that can catalyze the production of crocin, which can accumulate in Solanaceae. This research revealed a new metabolic pathway that can be used for the synthesis of crocin in different plant tissues through metabolic engineering.
