title: DAG, a gene required for chloroplast differentiation and palisade development in Antirrhinum majus.
abstract: We have identified a mutation at the DAG locus of Antirrhinum majus which blocks the development of chloroplasts to give white leaves with green revertant sectors. The green areas contain normal chloroplasts whereas the white areas have small plastids that resemble proplastids. The cotyledons of dark-grown dag mutant seedlings have plastids which also resemble proplastids. The palisade cells in the white areas of dag mutant leaves also lack their characteristic columnar shape. The DAG locus was cloned by transposon tagging: DAG encodes a novel protein with a predicted Mr of 26k, which is targeted to the plastids. Cleavage of its predicted transit peptide gives a mature protein of Mr 20k. Screening of databases and analysis of Southern blots gave evidence that DAG belongs to a protein family with homology to several proteins of unknown function from plants. Expression of DAG is required for expression of nuclear genes affecting the chloroplasts, such as CAB and RBCS, and also for expression of the plastidial gene RPOB encoding the plastidial RNA polymerase beta subunit, indicating that it functions very early in chloroplast development.
authors.affiliation: John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Colney, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chatterjee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sparvoli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Edmunds
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garosi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Findlay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000235:genetics; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D018087:Plastids / Q000502:physiology; D017385:Sequence Homology
chemical_list: C102164:DAG protein, Antirrhinum majus; D018744:DNA, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins