title: The rice DUF1620-containing and WD40-like repeat protein is required for the assembly of the restoration of fertility complex.
abstract: Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and restoration of fertility (Rf) are widely distributed in plant species utilized by humans. RF5 and GRP162 are subunits of the restoration of fertility complex (RFC) in Hong-Lian rice. Despite the fact that the RFC is 400-500 kDa in size, the other proteins or factors in the complex still remain unknown. Here, we identified RFC subunit 3, which encodes a DUF1620-containing and WD40-like repeat protein (RFC3) that is present in all tissues but highly expressed in leaves. We established that RFC3 interacts with both RF5 and GRP162 in vitro and in vivo, and is transported into the mitochondria as a membrane protein. Furthermore, CMS RNA (atp6-orfH79) and CMS cytotoxic protein (ORFH79) accumulate when RFC3 is silenced in restorer lines. We presented the analysis with blue-native polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, indicating that RFC is disrupted in the RNAi line. We concluded that RCF3 is indispensable as a scaffold protein for the assembly of the RFC complex. We unveil a new molecular player of the RFC in the Rf pathway in rice and propose the model of RFC based on these data.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Qin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Haijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Qiannan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Chenzi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Yanghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Gai
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.|Engineering Research Center for Plant Biotechnology and Germplasm, Utilization, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Yangtze River Valley Hybrid Rice Collaboration & Innovation Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Daichang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.|Engineering Research Center for Plant Biotechnology and Germplasm, Utilization, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Yangtze River Valley Hybrid Rice Collaboration & Innovation Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Yingguo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Hybrid Rice, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.|Engineering Research Center for Plant Biotechnology and Germplasm, Utilization, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Research and Utilization of Heterosis in Indica Rice, the Ministry of Agriculture, The Yangtze River Valley Hybrid Rice Collaboration & Innovation Center, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430072, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D005298:Fertility; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051336:Mitochondrial Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D051479:Plant Infertility / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020449:Repetitive Sequences, Amino Acid; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D012333:RNA, Messenger
keywords: Hong-Lian (HL) type; WD40-like repeat; assembly; cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS); restoration of fertility complex (RFC)