GSE161571
The Arabidopsis NOT4A E3 ligase promotes PGR3 expression and regulates chloroplast translation
Chloroplast function requires the coordinated action of nuclear- and chloroplast-derived proteins, including several hundred nuclear-encoded pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins that regulate plastid mRNA metabolism. Despite their large number and importance, regulatory mechanisms controlling PPR expression are poorly understood. Here we show that the Arabidopsis NOT4A ubiquitin-ligase positively regulates the expression of PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 3 (PGR3), a PPR protein required for translating several thylakoid-localised photosynthetic components and ribosome subunits within chloroplasts. Loss of NOT4A function leads to a strong depletion of cytochrome b6f and NDH complexes, as well plastid 30S ribosomes, which reduces mRNA translation and negatively impacts photosynthetic capacity, causing pale-yellow and slow-growth phenotypes. Quantitative transcriptome and proteome analyses reveal that PGR3 is misregulated in not4a. We show that the molecular not4a defects mimic those of a pgr3 mutant, and that normal plastid function is restored through transgenic PGR3 expression. Our work identifies NOT4A as crucial for ensuring robust photosynthetic function during development and stress-response, through promoting PGR3 production and chloroplast translation. Overall design: mRNA profiles of wild-type (Col-0) and not4a mutant Arabidopsis seedlings