Article
Plant Sciences
Lisa M. LaManna, Mugdha S. Parulekar, Pal Maliga
Summary: Efficient plastid transformation in oilseed rape was achieved by inactivating nuclear encoded ACCase genes using CRISPR-Cas9. This study provides a novel approach for gene editing and potential resources for genetic improvement in oilseed rape.
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
Cell Biology
Sreedhar Nellaepalli, Anne Sophie Lau, R. Paul Jarvis
Summary: Chloroplasts are important organelles for photosynthesis and various metabolic and signaling processes. Most chloroplast proteins are encoded by the nucleus and need to be imported from the cytosol. The protein import machinery and the ubiquitin-proteasome system play crucial roles in regulating chloroplast biogenesis and protein homeostasis.
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Sreedhar Nellaepalli, Anne Sophie Lau, R. Paul Jarvis
Summary: Chloroplasts play a crucial role in photosynthesis and other metabolic and signaling processes for plant growth and development. This article presents the mechanistic details of protein import and the regulation of chloroplast proteins by the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS).
JOURNAL OF CELL SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Peng Wang, Shuiling Ji, Bernhard Grimm
Summary: This article reviews the recently described regulatory factors and their functions at three main checkpoints of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis. It highlights the importance of tetrapyrroles in critical reactions in photosynthetic organisms and the potential for improving plant productivity in the context of global climate change. The post-translational regulation of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis is discussed, with a focus on the regulatory functions of auxiliary factors. The article also explores the metabolic checkpoints and the regulation of protein stability, enzymatic activity, and spatial organization in the pathway.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Yaqi An, Yue Wang, Xinwei Wang, Jianwei Xiao
Summary: The article provides a comprehensive overview of chloroplast genetic engineering and regulation of gene expression. It discusses the history and current methods, as well as suggesting new techniques for regulating chloroplast gene expression at the transcriptional or post-transcriptional level.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Dong-Li Hao, Jin-Yan Zhou, Ya-Nan Huang, Hao-Ran Wang, Xiao-Hui Li, Hai-Lin Guo, Jian-Xiu Liu
Summary: The manipulation of a single plastid phosphate transporter gene can enhance carotenoid accumulation in plants, potentially by affecting plastid orthophosphate concentration.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Horticulture
Xiaoqian Qu, Xince Wang, Maorun Fu, Jianfeng Cheng, Jingjing Liu, Xianghua Wang, Jia Li, Jinjin Wang, Ziqi Wang, Fei Sun
Summary: The concentration of (E)-2-hexenal (E2H) is closely related to the color change process in ripening tomatoes. E2H is proposed to regulate chloroplast degradation. In this study, exogenous E2H was applied to tomatoes and plants, resulting in a higher concentration of E2H. Several indices in response to E2H were detected, showing inhibited color change and limited ethylene pathway and associated genes. Subcellular structure changes, fatty acid profiles, and malondialdehyde content supported specific degradation of chloroplast membranes.
SCIENTIA HORTICULTURAE
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Naresh Loudya, Priyanka Mishra, Kotaro Takahagi, Yukiko Uehara-Yamaguchi, Komaki Inoue, Laszlo Bogre, Keiichi Mochida, Enrique Lopez-Juez
Summary: Using the developmental gradient in bread wheat leaves, a comprehensive gene expression map was generated capturing the entire developmental gradient from meristematic to fully differentiated cells. The study identified two distinct phases of chloroplast development, involving organelle proliferation and establishment of photosynthetic chloroplasts. Known chloroplast gene expression regulators were predicted to have differential involvement across these stages.
Review
Plant Sciences
Ralph Bock
Summary: The technology of plastid genome transformation has great significance in metabolic engineering due to the ability of plastid genomes to accommodate large amounts of foreign DNA and the unique mode of inheritance. The absence of epigenetic gene silencing mechanisms in plastids and the high expression levels achieved further enhance its attractiveness. This review focuses on the engineering principles, tools, and recent applications of plastid genome transformation in metabolic engineering.
CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY
(2022)
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
Genetics & Heredity
Nripendra Vikram Singh, Prakash Goudappa Patil, Roopa P. Sowjanya, Shilpa Parashuram, Purushothaman Natarajan, Karuppannan Dhinesh Babu, Ram Krishna Pal, Jyotsana Sharma, Umesh K. Reddy
Summary: Comprehensive chloroplast genome analysis of 16 pomegranate genotypes revealed variability in genome size and conservation in gene content, with distinct differences among genotypes and clear divergence from other taxa. The study also identified varietal-specific SNP/indel markers and provided valuable genomic resources for future genetic, taxonomical, and phylogenetic research in pomegranate.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Joan Pere Pascual-Diaz, Sonia Garcia, Daniel Vitales
Summary: Plastid genomes in Asteraceae are generally highly conserved, with specific rearrangements being phylogenetically informative. This study provided a comprehensive plastome-based phylogeny of Asteraceae, revealing structural information, genetic diversity, and repeat composition. Despite the presence of a double inversion in most species, there are exceptions in basal tribes lacking a specific pseudogene. The phylogenomic analysis based on protein-coding genes, transfer RNA genes, and ribosomal RNA genes showed consistency with the family's general consensus, while also highlighting some incongruences between nuclear and plastid DNA data at the tribe level.
Review
Plant Sciences
Takayuki Shimizu, Tatsuru Masuda
Summary: Chloroplast biogenesis relies on coordinated expression of chloroplast and nuclear genomes. Retrograde signals emitted from plastids control nuclear gene expression, with gun mutants playing a role in this pathway.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jun Fang, Bingqi Li, Lih-Jen Chen, Vivek Dogra, Shengji Luo, Wangpin Wu, Pengcheng Wang, Inhwan Hwang, Hsou-Min Li, Chanhong Kim
Summary: This study reveals a related component of TIC236, CRL, which is involved in plastid division and plant stress responses. The findings highlight the interconnectedness between plastid protein import, plastid division, and plant stress responses.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yi Dong, Mengting Wu, Qi Zhang, Jinqiu Fu, F. Vanessa Loiacono, Yong Yang, Zican Wang, Shengchun Li, Ling Chang, Ralph Bock, Jiang Zhang
Summary: The expression of double-stranded RNAs in plastids has the potential to control chewing insects. This study investigates whether plastid-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) can be used to control sap-sucking insects. The results show that sap-sucking hemipteran insects acquire plastid RNA and that transplastomic plants expressing double-stranded RNAs targeting a specific gene exhibit significant resistance to aphids. The study demonstrates the effectiveness of plastid-mediated RNAi in controlling sap-sucking insect pests.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yang Gao, Wolfram Thiele, Omar Saleh, Federico Scossa, Fayezeh Arabi, Hongmou Zhang, Arun Sampathkumar, Kristina Kuehn, Alisdair Fernie, Ralph Bock, Mark A. Schoettler, Reimo Zoschke
Summary: This study reveals the importance of translational regulation of chloroplast genes in plant cold acclimation and identifies a critical role of a small cytochrome b6f complex subunit in chilling tolerance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jinqiu Fu, Shijing Xu, Huan Lu, Fanchi Li, Shengchun Li, Ling Chang, David G. Heckel, Ralph Bock, Jiang Zhang
Summary: Plant-mediated RNA interference (RNAi) using dsRNA or siRNA has shown promise in pest control, but little is known about the molecular mechanisms. This study found that siRNAs derived from transgenic plants may be more effective triggers of RNAi in Lepidoptera than dsRNAs.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Qiqi Chen, Pan Shen, Ralph Bock, Shengchun Li, Jiang Zhang
Summary: A global survey of plastid gene expression during fruit ripening in kiwifruit reveals cis-elements that can potentially trigger high-level transgene expression in edible tissues, providing valuable resources for analyzing plastid gene expression and future efforts to engineer the plastid genome of kiwifruit.
PLANT CELL REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mengting Wu, Yi Dong, Qi Zhang, Shengchun Li, Ling Chang, F. Vanessa Loiacono, Stephanie Ruf, Jiang Zhang, Ralph Bock
Summary: This study explores the feasibility of using plastid-mediated RNA interference (PM-RNAi) to control the western flower thrip, a notorious pest. By introducing double-stranded RNA or hairpin RNA into transplastomic tobacco plants, the researchers were able to induce RNAi response in the thrips, leading to efficient suppression of target genes and high insect mortality. This research extends the application of PM-RNAi technology and provides design principles for constructing transplastomic plants expressing double-stranded RNA, offering an effective approach to control tough insect pests in agriculture and horticulture.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shaobo Wei, Xia Li, Zefu Lu, Hui Zhang, Xiangyuan Ye, Yujie Zhou, Jing Li, Yanyan Yan, Hongcui Pei, Fengying Duan, Danying Wang, Song Chen, Peng Wang, Chao Zhang, Lianguang Shang, Yue Zhou, Peng Yan, Ming Zhao, Jirong Huang, Ralph Bock, Qian Qian, Wenbin Zhou
Summary: In this study, a photosynthesis-related transcription factor, OsDREB1C, was identified and found to regulate various functions such as photosynthetic capacity, nitrogen utilization, and flowering time in rice. Field trials with OsDREB1C-overexpressing rice showed increased yield, shortened growth duration, and improved nitrogen use efficiency.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Junjie Tan, Joachim Forner, Daniel Karcher, Ralph Bock
Summary: Genome editing has revolutionized biological research, with CRISPR/Cas-based editing being the preferred technology due to its simplicity and flexibility. Fusion of Cas nucleases with large protein domains allows for combination of DNA recognition properties with new enzymatic activities. Base editors and prime editors, produced by fusion with nucleoside deaminase or reverse transcriptase domains, induce site-specific alterations of a few nucleotides without generating double-strand breaks. Protein-only genome editing reagents based on transcription activator-like effectors have expanded base editing to chloroplast and mitochondrial genomes. This review summarizes current base editing methods for nuclear and organellar genomes, highlighting advances in precision, specificity, and efficiency, as well as discussing limitations and future challenges. In addition, applications in agricultural biotechnology and gene therapy are briefly overviewed.
TRENDS IN GENETICS
(2022)
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
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
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
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.