title: The plastid clpP gene may not be essential for plant cell viability.
abstract: The plastid gene clpP is widely regarded as essential for chloroplast function and general plant cell survival. In this note we provide evidence that certain lines of non-photosynthetic maize (Zea mays) Black Mexican Sweet (BMS) suspension cells do not carry clpP in their plastid genomes. We also discuss several incidences in the literature where clpP is either missing or not expressed in other non-green cell lines and plants. We conclude that clpP is not required for general plant cell survival but instead may only be essential for the development and/or function of plastids with active gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: A Bruce
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Cahoon
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D018744:DNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D017353:Gene Deletion; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018744:DNA, Plant; D012697:Serine Endopeptidases; D049071:Endopeptidase Clp; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases