Starch synthase 4 is located in the thylakoid membrane and interacts with plastoglobule-associated proteins in Arabidopsis

Starch synthesis requires the formation of a primer that can be subsequently elongated and branched. How this primer is produced, however, remains unknown. The control of the number of starch granules produced per chloroplast is also a matter of debate. We previously showed starch synthase 4 (SS4) to be involved in both processes, although the mechanisms involved are yet to be fully characterised. The present work shows that SS4 displays a specific localization different from other starch synthases. Thus, this protein is located in specific areas of the thylakoid membrane and interacts with the proteins fibrillin 1a (FBN1a) and 1b (FBN1b), which are mainly located in plastoglobules. SS4 would seem to be associated with plastoglobules attached to the thylakoids (or to that portion of the thylakoids where plastoglobules have originated), forming a complex that includes the FBN1s and other as-yet unidentified proteins. The present results also indicate that the localization pattern of SS4, and its interactions with the FBN1 proteins, are mediated through its N-terminal region, which contains two long coiled-coil motifs. The localization of SS4 in specific areas of the thylakoid membrane suggests that starch granules are originated at specific regions of the chloroplast.