Filamentous Temperature-Sensitive Z Protein J175 Regulates Maize Chloroplasts’ and Amyloplasts’ Division and Development

TL;DR

This study identifies the J175 gene in maize as critical for chloroplast and amyloplast division, affecting plant growth and starch formation.

Contribution

The study reveals the role of the J175 gene in regulating chloroplast and amyloplast division in maize through map-based cloning and RNA-seq analysis.

Findings

The J175 gene encodes an FtsZ protein essential for plastid division in maize.

The j175 mutant shows inhibited chloroplast and amyloplast division, leading to reduced photosynthesis and irregular starch granules.

RNA-seq analysis shows downregulation of multiple plastid division-related genes in the j175 mutant.

Abstract

Plastid division regulatory genes play a crucial role in the morphogenesis of chloroplasts and amyloplasts. Chloroplasts are the main sites for photosynthesis and metabolic reactions, while amyloplasts are the organelles responsible for forming and storing starch granules. The proper division of chloroplasts and amyloplasts is essential for plant growth and yield maintenance. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the J175 (FtsZ2-2) gene, cloned from an ethyl methanesulphonate (EMS) mutant involved in chloroplast and amyloplast division in maize, through map-based cloning. We found that J175 encodes a cell division protein, FtsZ (filamentous temperature-sensitive Z). The FtsZ family of proteins is widely distributed in plants and may be related to the division of chloroplasts and amyloplasts. The J175 protein is localized in plastids, and its gene is expressed across various tissues. From the seedling stage, the leaves of the j175 mutant exhibited white stripes, while the division of chloroplasts was inhibited, leading to a significant increase in volume and a reduction in their number. Measurement of the photosynthetic rate showed a significant decrease in the photosynthetic efficiency of j175. Additionally, the division of amyloplasts in j175 grains at different stages was impeded, resulting in irregular polygonal starch granules. RNA-seq analyses of leaves and kernels also showed that multiple genes affecting plastid division, such as FtsZ1, ARC3, ARC6, PDV1-1, PDV2, and MinE1, were significantly downregulated. This study demonstrates that the maize gene j175 is essential for maintaining the division of chloroplasts and amyloplasts and ensuring normal plant growth, and provides an important gene resource for the molecular breeding of maize.

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