Isolation and characterization of an Arabidopsis mutant deficient in the thylakoid lipid digalactosyl diacylglycerol.
The galactolipids monogalactosyl and digalactosyl diacylglycerol occur in all higher plants and are the predominant lipid components of chloroplast membranes. They are thought to be of major importance to chloroplast morphology and physiology, although direct experimental evidence is still lacking. The enzymes responsible for final assembly of galactolipids are associated with the envelope membranes of plastids, and their biochemical analysis has been notoriously difficult. Therefore, we have chosen a genetic approach to study the biosynthesis and function of galactolipids in higher plants. We isolated a mutant of Arabidopsis that is deficient in digalactosyl diacylglycerol by directly screening a mutagenized M2 population for individuals with altered leaf lipid composition. This mutant carries a recessive nuclear mutation at a single locus designated dgd1. Backcrossed mutants show stunted growth, pale green leaf color, reduced photosynthetic capability, and altered thylakoid membrane ultrastructure.
Institut für Genbiologische Forschung Berlin GmbH, Germany.
P
P
Dörmann
S
S
Hoffmann-Benning
I
I
Balbo
C
C
Benning
D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D038983:Galactolipids; D006017:Glycolipids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D015388:Organelles / Q000378:metabolism; D010743:Phospholipids / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves
D038983:Galactolipids; D006017:Glycolipids; D010743:Phospholipids; C007388:digalactosyldiacylglycerol