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Molecular Biology of Plastids
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Molecular Biology of Plastids

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 20204

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Mitsumasa Hanaoka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Plant Molecular Science Center, and Division of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 1-33 Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba 263-8522, Japan
Interests: plastid molecular biology; light responses; retrograde signaling; gene regulation; circadian clock; endosymbiotic evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plastids are plant-specific organelles characterized by photosynthesis and many important metabolic functions. Over 30 years since the complete sequencing of the plastid genome, significant advances have been achieved in the field of plastid gene expression as well as nucleus–plastid signaling. These systems are really unique because they are basically inherited by endosymbiotic evolution from ancient cyanobacteria. On the other hand, plastids can differentiate into various structural and functional subtypes, such as chloroplasts, amyloplasts, and chromoplasts, and there have been a wide variety of studies on their biogenesis and development in recent years. Moreover, excellent studies in plastid molecular biology have opened the path to exploit plastid biotechnology. This technique has been based on plastid transformation and has aimed to improve plant productivity or to produce novel biosynthetic products for agricultural and industrial applications. This Special Issue will focus on recent advances in all aspects of molecular biological studies of plastids, covering regulation of gene expression, signal transduction, environmental responses, differentiation and development, and experimental approaches toward plastid biotechnology.

Prof. Dr. Mitsumasa Hanaoka
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • regulation of gene expression
  • plastid biogenesis
  • environmental responses
  • plastid genome and replication
  • endosymbiosis and evolution
  • plastid differentiation
  • regulation of photosynthesis
  • plastid biotechnology

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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21 pages, 3246 KiB  
Article
Arabidopsis EGY1 Is Critical for Chloroplast Development in Leaf Epidermal Guard Cells
by Alvin Sanjaya, Ryohsuke Muramatsu, Shiho Sato, Mao Suzuki, Shun Sasaki, Hiroki Ishikawa, Yuki Fujii, Makoto Asano, Ryuuichi D. Itoh, Kengo Kanamaru, Sumie Ohbu, Tomoko Abe, Yusuke Kazama and Makoto T. Fujiwara
Plants 2021, 10(6), 1254; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10061254 - 21 Jun 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4141
Abstract
In Arabidopsis thaliana, the Ethylene-dependent Gravitropism-deficient and Yellow-green 1 (EGY1) gene encodes a thylakoid membrane-localized protease involved in chloroplast development in leaf mesophyll cells. Recently, EGY1 was also found to be crucial for the maintenance of grana in mesophyll chloroplasts. [...] Read more.
In Arabidopsis thaliana, the Ethylene-dependent Gravitropism-deficient and Yellow-green 1 (EGY1) gene encodes a thylakoid membrane-localized protease involved in chloroplast development in leaf mesophyll cells. Recently, EGY1 was also found to be crucial for the maintenance of grana in mesophyll chloroplasts. To further explore the function of EGY1 in leaf tissues, we examined the phenotype of chloroplasts in the leaf epidermal guard cells and pavement cells of two 40Ar17+ irradiation-derived mutants, Ar50-33-pg1 and egy1-4. Fluorescence microscopy revealed that fully expanded leaves of both egy1 mutants showed severe chlorophyll deficiency in both epidermal cell types. Guard cells in the egy1 mutant exhibited permanent defects in chloroplast formation during leaf expansion. Labeling of plastids with CaMV35S or Protodermal Factor1 (PDF1) promoter-driven stroma-targeted fluorescent proteins revealed that egy1 guard cells contained the normal number of plastids, but with moderately reduced size, compared with wild-type guard cells. Transmission electron microscopy further revealed that the development of thylakoids was impaired in the plastids of egy1 mutant guard mother cells, guard cells, and pavement cells. Collectively, these observations demonstrate that EGY1 is involved in chloroplast formation in the leaf epidermis and is particularly critical for chloroplast differentiation in guard cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology of Plastids)
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25 pages, 83564 KiB  
Article
An Argon-Ion-Induced Pale Green Mutant of Arabidopsis Exhibiting Rapid Disassembly of Mesophyll Chloroplast Grana
by Alvin Sanjaya, Yusuke Kazama, Kotaro Ishii, Ryohsuke Muramatsu, Kengo Kanamaru, Sumie Ohbu, Tomoko Abe and Makoto T. Fujiwara
Plants 2021, 10(5), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10050848 - 22 Apr 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3625
Abstract
Argon-ion beam is an effective mutagen capable of inducing a variety of mutation types. In this study, an argon ion-induced pale green mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was isolated and characterized. The mutant, designated Ar50-33-pg1, exhibited moderate defects of growth and greening and exhibited [...] Read more.
Argon-ion beam is an effective mutagen capable of inducing a variety of mutation types. In this study, an argon ion-induced pale green mutant of Arabidopsis thaliana was isolated and characterized. The mutant, designated Ar50-33-pg1, exhibited moderate defects of growth and greening and exhibited rapid chlorosis in photosynthetic tissues. Fluorescence microscopy confirmed that mesophyll chloroplasts underwent substantial shrinkage during the chlorotic process. Genetic and whole-genome resequencing analyses revealed that Ar50-33-pg1 contained a large 940 kb deletion in chromosome V that encompassed more than 100 annotated genes, including 41 protein-coding genes such as TYRAAt1/TyrA1, EGY1, and MBD12. One of the deleted genes, EGY1, for a thylakoid membrane-localized metalloprotease, was the major contributory gene responsible for the pale mutant phenotype. Both an egy1 mutant and F1 progeny of an Ar50-33-pg1 × egy1 cross-exhibited chlorotic phenotypes similar to those of Ar50-33-pg1. Furthermore, ultrastructural analysis of mesophyll cells revealed that Ar50-33-pg1 and egy1 initially developed wild type-like chloroplasts, but these were rapidly disassembled, resulting in thylakoid disorganization and fragmentation, as well as plastoglobule accumulation, as terminal phenotypes. Together, these data support the utility of heavy-ion mutagenesis for plant genetic analysis and highlight the importance of EGY1 in the structural maintenance of grana in mesophyll chloroplasts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology of Plastids)
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15 pages, 12755 KiB  
Article
Genetic Diversity of Symbiotic Green Algae of Paramecium bursaria Syngens Originating from Distant Geographical Locations
by Magdalena Greczek-Stachura, Patrycja Zagata Leśnicka, Sebastian Tarcz, Maria Rautian and Katarzyna Możdżeń
Plants 2021, 10(3), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030609 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3009
Abstract
Paramecium bursaria (Ehrenberg 1831) is a ciliate species living in a symbiotic relationship with green algae. The aim of the study was to identify green algal symbionts of P. bursaria originating from distant geographical locations and to answer the question of whether the [...] Read more.
Paramecium bursaria (Ehrenberg 1831) is a ciliate species living in a symbiotic relationship with green algae. The aim of the study was to identify green algal symbionts of P. bursaria originating from distant geographical locations and to answer the question of whether the occurrence of endosymbiont taxa was correlated with a specific ciliate syngen (sexually separated sibling group). In a comparative analysis, we investigated 43 P. bursaria symbiont strains based on molecular features. Three DNA fragments were sequenced: two from the nuclear genomes—a fragment of the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region and a fragment of the gene encoding large subunit ribosomal RNA (28S rDNA), as well as a fragment of the plastid genome comprising the 3′rpl36-5′infA genes. The analysis of two ribosomal sequences showed the presence of 29 haplotypes (haplotype diversity Hd = 0.98736 for ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 and Hd = 0.908 for 28S rDNA) in the former two regions, and 36 haplotypes in the 3′rpl36-5′infA gene fragment (Hd = 0.984). The following symbiotic strains were identified: Chlorella vulgaris, Chlorella variabilis, Chlorella sorokiniana and Micractinium conductrix. We rejected the hypotheses concerning (i) the correlation between P. bursaria syngen and symbiotic species, and (ii) the relationship between symbiotic species and geographic distribution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology of Plastids)
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15 pages, 2344 KiB  
Article
Deciphering the Proteotoxic Stress Responses Triggered by the Perturbed Thylakoid Proteostasis in Arabidopsis
by Kenji Nishimura, Reiko Nakagawa, Chisato Hachisuga and Yuri Nakajima Munekage
Plants 2021, 10(3), 519; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10030519 - 10 Mar 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3339
Abstract
Here, we explored heat dependent thylakoid FtsH protease substrates and investigated proteotoxicity induced by thermal damage and processive protease dysfunction on the thylakoid membrane. Through our thylakoid enriched proteome analysis and biochemical experiments, carbonylated stromal proteins were suggested as possible FtsH targets. Furthermore, [...] Read more.
Here, we explored heat dependent thylakoid FtsH protease substrates and investigated proteotoxicity induced by thermal damage and processive protease dysfunction on the thylakoid membrane. Through our thylakoid enriched proteome analysis and biochemical experiments, carbonylated stromal proteins were suggested as possible FtsH targets. Furthermore, we observed in the thylakoid fractions in the absence of FtsH stromal reactive oxygen species-detoxifying enzymes, as well as heat shock proteins and chaperones, which are known to be upregulated at the transcriptional level when this protease is absent, which is called the damaged protein response, resembling unfolded protein response in eukaryotic cells. Interestingly, the thylakoid-enriched high-density fractions included stromal translation factors and RNA-binding proteins, along with aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase, reminiscent of the formation of stress granules. Unexpectedly, extraplastid proteins such as mitochondrial chaperones, peroxidase, tricarboxylic acid cycle and respiratory chain enzymes, as well as cytosolic ribosomes, translation factors, heat shock proteins, antioxidants and metabolic enzymes, were also found deposited in the high-density fractions depending on the loss of thylakoid FtsH, with more prominent effects of thermal stress on the cytosolic proteins. This may reflect intracellular adaptation to the proteotoxic influences from the organelle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology of Plastids)
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Review

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19 pages, 1107 KiB  
Review
The Role of Tetrapyrrole- and GUN1-Dependent Signaling on Chloroplast Biogenesis
by Takayuki Shimizu and Tatsuru Masuda
Plants 2021, 10(2), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10020196 - 21 Jan 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4700
Abstract
Chloroplast biogenesis requires the coordinated expression of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes, which is achieved by communication between the developing chloroplasts and the nucleus. Signals emitted from the plastids, so-called retrograde signals, control nuclear gene expression depending on plastid development and functionality. Genetic [...] Read more.
Chloroplast biogenesis requires the coordinated expression of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes, which is achieved by communication between the developing chloroplasts and the nucleus. Signals emitted from the plastids, so-called retrograde signals, control nuclear gene expression depending on plastid development and functionality. Genetic analysis of this pathway identified a set of mutants defective in retrograde signaling and designated genomes uncoupled (gun) mutants. Subsequent research has pointed to a significant role of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis in retrograde signaling. Meanwhile, the molecular functions of GUN1, the proposed integrator of multiple retrograde signals, have not been identified yet. However, based on the interactions of GUN1, some working hypotheses have been proposed. Interestingly, GUN1 contributes to important biological processes, including plastid protein homeostasis, through transcription, translation, and protein import. Furthermore, the interactions of GUN1 with tetrapyrroles and their biosynthetic enzymes have been revealed. This review focuses on our current understanding of the function of tetrapyrrole retrograde signaling on chloroplast biogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Biology of Plastids)
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