Silencing of NbNAP1 encoding a plastidic SufB-like protein affects chloroplast development in Nicotiana benthamiana.
It was previously shown that AtNAP1 is a plastidic SufB protein involved in Fe-S cluster assembly in Arabidopsis. In this study, we investigated the effects of depleting SufB protein from plant cells using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). VIGS of NbNAP1 encoding a Nicotiana benthamiana homolog of AtNAP1 resulted in a leaf yellowing phenotype. NbNAP1 was expressed ubiquitously in plant tissues with the highest level in roots. A GFP fusion protein of the N-terminal region (M1-V103) of NbNAP1 was targeted to chloroplasts. Depletion of NbNAP1 resulted in reduced numbers of chloroplasts of reduced size. Mitochondria also seemed to be affected. Despite the reduced number and size of the chloroplasts in the NbNAP1 VIGS lines, the expression of many nuclear genes encoding chloroplast-targeted proteins and chlorophyll biosynthesis genes remained unchanged.
Ahn
Chang Sook
CS
Division of Bioscience and Bioinformatics, Myongji University, Yongin 449-728, Korea.
Lee
Jeong Hee
JH
Pai
Hyun-Sook
HS
D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000502:physiology*; D020868:Gene Silencing; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009687:Nuclear Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D018087:Plastids / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000201:enzymology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D009687:Nuclear Proteins; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases; C498859:NAP1 protein, Arabidopsis