Plastid signalling under multiple conditions is accompanied by a common defect in RNA editing in plastids

GENOMES UNCOUPLED PROTEIN1 binds to plastid RNAs and promotes their maturation

Plastid biogenesis and the coordination of plastid and nuclear genome expression through anterograde and retrograde signaling are essential for plant development. GENOMES UNCOUPLED1 (GUN1) plays a central role in retrograde signaling during early plant development. The putative function of GUN1 has been extensively studied, but its molecular function remains controversial. Here, we evaluate published transcriptome data and generate our own data from gun1 mutants grown under signaling-relevant conditions to show that editing and splicing are not relevant for GUN1-dependent retrograde signaling. Our study of the plastid (post)transcriptome of gun1 seedlings with white and pale cotyledons demonstrates that GUN1 deficiency significantly alters the entire plastid transcriptome. By combining this result with a pentatricopeptide repeat code-based prediction and experimental validation by RNA immunoprecipitation experiments, we identified several putative targets of GUN1, including tRNAs and RNAs derived from ycf1.2, rpoC1, and rpoC2 and the ndhH-ndhA-ndhI-ndhG-ndhE-psaC-ndhD gene cluster. The absence of plastid rRNAs and the significant reduction of almost all plastid transcripts in white gun1 mutants account for the cotyledon phenotype. Our study provides evidence for RNA binding and maturation as the long-sought molecular function of GUN1 and resolves long-standing controversies. We anticipate that our findings will serve as a basis for subsequent studies on mechanisms of plastid gene expression and will help to elucidate the function of GUN1 in retrograde signaling.

Plastid retrograde signaling: A developmental perspective

Chloroplast activities influence nuclear gene expression, a phenomenon referred to as retrograde signaling. Biogenic retrograde signals have been revealed by changes in nuclear gene expression when chloroplast development is disrupted. Research on biogenic signaling has focused on repression of Photosynthesis-Associated Nuclear Genes (PhANGs), but this is just one component of a syndrome involving altered expression of thousands of genes involved in diverse processes, many of which are upregulated. We discuss evidence for a framework that accounts for most of this syndrome. Disruption of chloroplast biogenesis prevents the production of signals required to progress through discrete steps in the program of photosynthetic differentiation, causing retention of juvenile states. As a result, expression of PhANGs and other genes that act late during photosynthetic differentiation is not initiated, while expression of genes that act early is retained. The extent of juvenility, and thus the transcriptome, reflects the disrupted process: lack of plastid translation blocks development very early, whereas disruption of photosynthesis without compromising plastid translation blocks development at a later stage. We discuss implications of these and other recent observations for the nature of the plastid-derived signals that regulate photosynthetic differentiation and the role of GUN1, an enigmatic protein involved in biogenic signaling.

MORF9-dependent specific plastid RNA editing inhibits root growth under sugar starvation in Arabidopsis

Multiple organellar RNA editing factor (MORF) complex was shown to be highly associated with C-to-U RNA editing of vascular plant editosome. However, mechanisms by which MORF9-dependent plastid RNA editing controls plant development and responses to environmental alteration remain obscure. In this study, we found that loss of MORF9 function impaired PSII efficiency, NDH activity, and carbohydrate production, rapidly promoted nuclear gene expression including sucrose transporter and sugar/energy responsive genes, and attenuated root growth under sugar starvation conditions. Sugar repletion increased MORF9 and MORF2 expression in wild-type seedlings and reduced RNA editing of matK-706, accD-794, ndhD-383 and ndhF-290 in the morf9 mutant. RNA editing efficiency of ndhD-383 and ndhF-290 sites was diminished in the gin2/morf9 double mutants, and that of matK-706, accD-794, ndhD-383 and ndhF-290 sites were significantly diminished in the snrk1/morf9 double mutants. In contrast, overexpressing HXK1 or SnRK1 promoted RNA editing rate of matK-706, accD-794, ndhD-383 and ndhF-290 in leaves of morf9 mutants, suggesting that HXK1 partially impacts MORF9 mediated ndhD-383 and ndhF-290 editing, while SnRK1 may only affect MORF9-mediated ndhF-290 site editing. Collectively, these findings suggest that sugar and/or its intermediary metabolites impair MORF9-dependent plastid RNA editing resulting in derangements of plant root development.

Mutations in the chloroplast inner envelope protein TIC100 impair and repair chloroplast protein import and impact retrograde signaling

Chloroplast biogenesis requires synthesis of proteins in the nucleocytoplasm and the chloroplast itself. Nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins are imported via multiprotein translocons in the organelle's envelope membranes. Controversy exists around whether a 1-MDa complex comprising TIC20, TIC100, and other proteins constitutes the inner membrane TIC translocon. The Arabidopsis thaliana cue8 virescent mutant is broadly defective in plastid development. We identify CUE8 as TIC100. The tic100cue8 mutant accumulates reduced levels of 1-MDa complex components and exhibits reduced import of two nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins of different import profiles. A search for suppressors of tic100cue8 identified a second mutation within the same gene, tic100soh1, which rescues the visible, 1 MDa complex-subunit abundance, and chloroplast protein import phenotypes. tic100soh1 retains but rapidly exits virescence and rescues the synthetic lethality of tic100cue8 when retrograde signaling is impaired by a mutation in the GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 gene. Alongside the strong virescence, changes in RNA editing and the presence of unimported precursor proteins show that a strong signaling response is triggered when TIC100 function is altered. Our results are consistent with a role for TIC100, and by extension the 1-MDa complex, in the chloroplast import of photosynthetic and nonphotosynthetic proteins, a process which initiates retrograde signaling.

Salicylic Acid Acts Antagonistically to Plastid Retrograde Signaling by Promoting the Accumulation of Photosynthesis-associated Proteins in Arabidopsis

Plastids are involved in phytohormone metabolism as well as photosynthesis. However, the mechanism by which plastid retrograde signals and phytohormones cooperatively regulate plastid biogenesis remains elusive. Here, we investigated the effects of an inhibitor and a mutation that generate biogenic plastid signals on phytohormones and vice versa. Inhibition of plastid biogenesis by norflurazon (NF) treatment and the plastid protein import2 (ppi2) mutation caused a decrease in salicylic acid (SA) and jasmonic acid (JA). This effect can be attributed in part to the altered expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis and the metabolism of SA and JA. However, SA-dependent induction of the PATHOGENESIS-RELATED1 gene was virtually unaffected in NF-treated plants and the ppi2 mutant. Instead, the level of chlorophyll in these plants was partially restored by the exogenous application of SA. Consistent with this observation, the levels of some photosynthesis-associated proteins increased in the ppi2 and NF-treated plants in response to SA treatment. This regulation in true leaves seems to occur at the posttranscriptional level since SA treatment did not induce the expression of photosynthesis-associated genes. In salicylic acid induction deficient 2 and lesions simulating disease resistance 1 mutants, endogenous SA regulates the accumulation of photosynthesis-associated proteins through transcriptional and posttranscriptional mechanisms. These data indicate that SA acts antagonistically to the inhibition of plastid biogenesis by promoting the accumulation of photosynthesis-associated proteins in Arabidopsis, suggesting a possible link between SA and biogenic plastid signaling.

GUN control in retrograde signaling: How GENOMES UNCOUPLED proteins adjust nuclear gene expression to plastid biogenesis

Communication between cellular compartments is vital for development and environmental adaptation. Signals emanating from organelles, so-called retrograde signals, coordinate nuclear gene expression with the developmental stage and/or the functional status of the organelle. Plastids (best known in their green photosynthesizing differentiated form, the chloroplasts) are the primary energy-producing compartment of plant cells, and the site for the biosynthesis of many metabolites, including fatty acids, amino acids, nucleotides, isoprenoids, tetrapyrroles, vitamins, and phytohormone precursors. Signals derived from plastids regulate the accumulation of a large set of nucleus-encoded proteins, many of which localize to plastids. A set of mutants defective in retrograde signaling (genomes uncoupled, or gun) was isolated over 25 years ago. While most GUN genes act in tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, resolving the molecular function of GUN1, the proposed integrator of multiple retrograde signals, has turned out to be particularly challenging. Based on its amino acid sequence, GUN1 was initially predicted to be a plastid-localized nucleic acid-binding protein. Only recently, mechanistic information on the function of GUN1 has been obtained, pointing to a role in plastid protein homeostasis. This review article summarizes our current understanding of GUN-related retrograde signaling and provides a critical appraisal of the various proposed roles for GUNs and their respective pathways.

white panicle2 encoding thioredoxin z, regulates plastid RNA editing by interacting with multiple organellar RNA editing factors in rice

Thioredoxins (TRXs) occur in plant chloroplasts as complex disulphide oxidoreductases. Although many biological processes are regulated by thioredoxins, the regulatory mechanism of chloroplast TRXs are largely unknown. Here we report a rice white panicle2 mutant caused by a mutation in the thioredoxin z gene, an orthologue of AtTRX z in Arabidopsis. white panicle2 (wp2) seedlings exhibited a high-temperature-sensitive albinic phenotype. We found that plastid multiple organellar RNA editing factors (MORFs) were the regulatory targets of thioredoxin z. We showed that OsTRX z protein physically interacts with OsMORFs in a redox-dependent manner and that the redox state of a conserved cysteine in the MORF box is essential for MORF-MORF interactions. wp2 and OsTRX z knockout lines show reduced editing efficiencies in many plastidial-encoded genes especially under high-temperature conditions. An Arabidopsis trx z mutant also exhibited significantly reduced chloroplast RNA editing. Our combined results suggest that thioredoxin z regulates chloroplast RNA editing in plants by controlling the redox state of MORFs.

Induction of TOC and TIC genes during photomorphogenesis is mediated primarily by cryptochrome 1 in Arabidopsis

The majority of genes encoding photosynthesis-associated proteins in the nucleus are induced by light during photomorphogenesis, allowing plants to establish photoautotrophic growth. Therefore, optimizing the protein import apparatus of plastids, designated as the translocon at the outer and inner envelope membranes of chloroplast (TOC–TIC) complex, upon light exposure is a prerequisite to the import of abundant nuclear-encoded photosynthesis-associated proteins. However, the mechanism that coordinates the optimization of the TOC–TIC complex with the expression of nuclear-encoded photosynthesis-associated genes remains to be characterized in detail. To address this question, we investigated the mechanism by which plastid protein import is regulated by light during photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis. We found that the albino plastid protein import2 (ppi2) mutant lacking Toc159 protein import receptors have active photoreceptors, even though the mutant fails to induce the expression of photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes upon light illumination. In contrast, many TOC and TIC genes are rapidly induced by blue light in both WT and the ppi2 mutant. We uncovered that this regulation is mediated primarily by cryptochrome 1 (CRY1). Furthermore, deficiency of CRY1 resulted in the decrease of some TOC proteins in vivo. Our results suggest that CRY1 plays key roles in optimizing the content of the TOC–TIC apparatus to accommodate the import of abundant photosynthesis-associated proteins during photomorphogenesis.

GUN1 and Plastid RNA Metabolism: Learning from Genetics

GUN1 (genomes uncoupled 1), a chloroplast-localized pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein with a C-terminal small mutS-related (SMR) domain, plays a central role in the retrograde communication of chloroplasts with the nucleus. This flow of information is required for the coordinated expression of plastid and nuclear genes, and it is essential for the correct development and functioning of chloroplasts. Multiple genetic and biochemical findings indicate that GUN1 is important for protein homeostasis in the chloroplast; however, a clear and unified view of GUN1′s role in the chloroplast is still missing. Recently, GUN1 has been reported to modulate the activity of the nucleus-encoded plastid RNA polymerase (NEP) and modulate editing of plastid RNAs upon activation of retrograde communication, revealing a major role of GUN1 in plastid RNA metabolism. In this opinion article, we discuss the recently identified links between plastid RNA metabolism and retrograde signaling by providing a new and extended concept of GUN1 activity, which integrates the multitude of functional genetic interactions reported over the last decade with its primary role in plastid transcription and transcript editing.

Retrograde signalling in a virescent mutant triggers an anterograde delay of chloroplast biogenesis that requires GUN1 and is essential for survival

Defects in chloroplast development are ‘retrograde-signalled’ to the nucleus, reducing synthesis of photosynthetic or related proteins. The Arabidopsiscue8 mutant manifests virescence, a slow-greening phenotype, and is defective at an early stage in plastid development. Greening cotyledons or early leaf cells of cue8 exhibit immature chloroplasts which fail to fill the available cellular space. Such chloroplasts show reduced expression of genes of photosynthetic function, dependent on the plastid-encoded polymerase (PEP), while the expression of genes of housekeeping function driven by the nucleus-encoded polymerase (NEP) is elevated, a phenotype shared with mutants in plastid genetic functions. We attribute this phenotype to reduced expression of specific PEP-controlling sigma factors, elevated expression of RPOT (NEP) genes and maintained replication of plastid genomes (resulting in densely coalesced nucleoids in the mutant), i.e. it is due to an anterograde nucleus-to-chloroplast correction, analogous to retention of a juvenile plastid state. Mutants in plastid protein import components, particularly those involved in housekeeping protein import, also show this ‘retro-anterograde’ correction. Loss of CUE8 also causes changes in mRNA editing. The overall response has strong fitness value: loss of GUN1, an integrator of retrograde signalling, abolishes elements of it (albeit not others, including editing changes), causing bleaching and eventual seedling lethality upon cue8 gun1. This highlights the adaptive significance of virescence and retrograde signalling.

This article is part of the theme issue ‘Retrograde signalling from endosymbiotic organelles’.

Retrograde signals from endosymbiotic organelles: a common control principle in eukaryotic cells

Endosymbiotic organelles of eukaryotic cells, the plastids, including chloroplasts and mitochondria, are highly integrated into cellular signalling networks. In both heterotrophic and autotrophic organisms, plastids and/or mitochondria require extensive organelle-to-nucleus communication in order to establish a coordinated expression of their own genomes with the nuclear genome, which encodes the majority of the components of these organelles. This goal is achieved by the use of a variety of signals that inform the cell nucleus about the number and developmental status of the organelles and their reaction to changing external environments. Such signals have been identified in both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic eukaryotes (known as retrograde signalling and retrograde response, respectively) and, therefore, appear to be universal mechanisms acting in eukaryotes of all kingdoms. In particular, chloroplasts and mitochondria both harbour crucial redox reactions that are the basis of eukaryotic life and are, therefore, especially susceptible to stress from the environment, which they signal to the rest of the cell. These signals are crucial for cell survival, lifespan and environmental adjustment, and regulate quality control and targeted degradation of dysfunctional organelles, metabolic adjustments, and developmental signalling, as well as induction of apoptosis. The functional similarities between retrograde signalling pathways in autotrophic and non-autotrophic organisms are striking, suggesting the existence of common principles in signalling mechanisms or similarities in their evolution. Here, we provide a survey for the newcomers to this field of research and discuss the importance of retrograde signalling in the context of eukaryotic evolution. Furthermore, we discuss commonalities and differences in retrograde signalling mechanisms and propose retrograde signalling as a general signalling mechanism in eukaryotic cells that will be also of interest for the specialist. This article is part of the theme issue 'Retrograde signalling from endosymbiotic organelles'.

The plastid transcription machinery and its coordination with the expression of nuclear genome: Plastid-Encoded Polymerase, Nuclear-Encoded Polymerase and the Genomes Uncoupled 1-mediated retrograde communication

Plastid genes in higher plants are transcribed by at least two different RNA polymerases, the plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP), a bacteria-like core enzyme whose subunits are encoded by plastid genes (rpoA, rpoB, rpoC1 and rpoC2), and the nuclear-encoded plastid RNA polymerase (NEP), a monomeric bacteriophage-type RNA polymerase. Both PEP and NEP enzymes are active in non-green plastids and in chloroplasts at all developmental stages. Their transcriptional activity is affected by endogenous and exogenous factors and requires a strict coordination within the plastid and with the nuclear gene expression machinery. This review focuses on the different molecular mechanisms underlying chloroplast transcription regulation and its coordination with the photosynthesis-associated nuclear genes (PhANGs) expression. Particular attention is given to the link between NEP and PEP activity and the GUN1- (Genomes Uncoupled 1) mediated chloroplast-to-nucleus retrograde communication with respect to the Δrpo adaptive response, i.e. the increased accumulation of NEP-dependent transcripts upon depletion of PEP activity, and the editing-level changes observed in NEP-dependent transcripts, including rpoB and rpoC1, in gun1 cotyledons after norflurazon or lincomycin treatment. The role of cytosolic preproteins and HSP90 chaperone as components of the GUN1-retrograde signalling pathway, when chloroplast biogenesis is inhibited in Arabidopsis cotyledons, is also discussed. This article is part of the theme issue 'Retrograde signalling from endosymbiotic organelles'.

Functional analysis of mTERF5 and mTERF9 contribution to salt tolerance, plastid gene expression and retrograde signalling in Arabidopsis thaliana

We previously showed that Arabidopsis mda1 and mterf9 mutants, defective in the chloroplast-targeted mitochondrial transcription termination factors mTERF5 and mTERF9, respectively, display altered responses to abiotic stresses and abscisic acid (ABA), as well as perturbed development, likely through abnormal chloroplast biogenesis. To advance the functional analysis of mTERF5 and mTERF9, we obtained and characterized overexpression (OE) lines. Additionally, we studied genetic interactions between sca3-2, affected in the plastid-RNA polymerase RpoTp, and the mda1-1 and mterf9 mutations. We also investigated the role of mTERF5 and mTERF9 in plastid translation and plastid-to-nucleus signalling. We found that mTERF9 OE reduces salt and ABA tolerance, while mTERF5 or mTERF9 OE alter expression of nuclear and plastid genes. We determined that mda1-1 and mterf9 mutations genetically interact with sca3-2. Further, plastid 16S rRNA levels were reduced in mda1-1 and mterf9 mutants, and mterf9 was more sensitive to chemical inhibitors of chloroplast translation. Expression of the photosynthesis gene LHCB1, a retrograde signalling marker, was differentially affected in mda1-1 and/or mterf9 compared to wild-type Col-0, after treatments with inhibitors of carotenoid biosynthesis (norflurazon) or chloroplast translation (lincomycin). Moreover, mterf9, but not mda1-1, synergistically interacts with gun1-1, defective in GUN1, a central integrator of plastid retrograde signals. Our results show that mTERF9, and to a lesser extent mTERF5, are negative regulators of salt tolerance and that both genes are functionally related to RpoTp, and that mTERF9 is likely required for plastid ribosomal stability and/or assembly. Furthermore, our findings support a role for mTERF9 in retrograde signalling.

Unraveling the Linkage between Retrograde Signaling and RNA Metabolism in Plants

Retrograde signals are signals that originate in organelles to regulate nuclear gene expression. In plant cells, retrograde signaling from both chloroplasts and mitochondria is essential for plant development and growth. Over the past few years, substantial progress has been made in unraveling the linkages between chloroplast retrograde signaling and nuclear RNA metabolism processes or plastidial RNA editing. These findings add to the complexity of the regulation of organelle-to-nucleus communication. Chloroplast development and function rely on the coordinated regulation of chloroplast and nuclear gene expression, especially under stress conditions. A better understanding of retrograde signaling and RNA metabolism, as well as their connection, is essential for breeding stress-tolerant plants to cope with the dynamic and rapidly changing environment.

GUN1 interacts with MORF2 to regulate plastid RNA editing during retrograde signaling

During development or under stress, chloroplasts generate signals that regulate the expression of a large number of nuclear genes, a process called retrograde signaling. GENOMES UNCOUPLED 1 (GUN1) is an important regulator of this pathway. In this study, we have discovered an unexpected role for GUN1 in plastid RNA editing, as gun1 mutations affect RNA-editing efficiency at multiple sites in plastids during retrograde signaling. GUN1 plays a direct role in RNA editing by physically interacting with MULTIPLE ORGANELLAR RNA EDITING FACTOR 2 (MORF2). MORF2 overexpression causes widespread RNA-editing changes and a strong genomes uncoupled (gun) molecular phenotype similar to gun1 MORF2 further interacts with RNA-editing site-specificity factors: ORGANELLE TRANSCRIPT PROCESSING 81 (OTP81), ORGANELLE TRANSCRIPT PROCESSING 84 (OTP84), and YELLOW SEEDLINGS 1 (YS1). We further show that otp81, otp84, and ys1 single mutants each exhibit a very weak gun phenotype, but combining the three mutations enhances the phenotype. Our study uncovers a role for GUN1 in the regulation of RNA-editing efficiency in damaged chloroplasts and suggests that MORF2 is involved in retrograde signaling.

The chloroplast RNA helicase ISE2 is required for multiple chloroplast RNA processing steps in Arabidopsis thaliana

INCREASED SIZE EXCLUSION LIMIT2 (ISE2) is a chloroplast-localized RNA helicase that is indispensable for proper plant development. Chloroplasts in leaves with reduced ISE2 expression have previously been shown to exhibit reduced thylakoid contents and increased stromal volume, indicative of defective development. It has recently been reported that ISE2 is required for the splicing of group II introns from chloroplast transcripts. The current study extends these findings, and presents evidence for ISE2's role in multiple aspects of chloroplast RNA processing beyond group II intron splicing. Loss of ISE2 from Arabidopsis thaliana leaves resulted in defects in C-to-U RNA editing, altered accumulation of chloroplast transcripts and chloroplast-encoded proteins, and defective processing of chloroplast ribosomal RNAs. Potential ISE2 substrates were identified by RNA immunoprecipitation followed by next-generation sequencing (RIP-seq), and the diversity of RNA species identified supports ISE2's involvement in multiple aspects of chloroplast RNA metabolism. Comprehensive phylogenetic analyses revealed that ISE2 is a non-canonical Ski2-like RNA helicase that represents a separate sub-clade unique to green photosynthetic organisms, consistent with its function as an essential protein. Thus ISE2's evolutionary conservation may be explained by its numerous roles in regulating chloroplast gene expression.

Salt stress affects mRNA editing in soybean chloroplasts

Soybean, a crop known by its economic and nutritional importance, has been the subject of several studies that assess the impact and the effective plant responses to abiotic stresses. Salt stress is one of the main environmental stresses and negatively impacts crop growth and yield. In this work, the RNA editing process in the chloroplast of soybean plants was evaluated in response to a salt stress. Bioinformatics approach using sRNA and mRNA libraries were employed to detect specific sites showing differences in editing efficiency. RT-qPCR was used to measure editing efficiency at selected sites. We observed that transcripts of NDHA, NDHB, RPS14 and RPS16 genes presented differences in coverage and editing rates between control and salt-treated libraries. RT-qPCR assays demonstrated an increase in editing efficiency of selected genes. The salt stress enhanced the RNA editing process in transcripts, indicating responses to components of the electron transfer chain, photosystem and translation complexes. These increases can be a response to keep the homeostasis of chloroplast protein functions in response to salt stress.

Ubiquitin-Proteasome Dependent Regulation of the GOLDEN2-LIKE 1 Transcription Factor in Response to Plastid Signals

Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) transcription factors promote chloroplast biogenesis by regulating the expression of photosynthesis-related genes. Arabidopsis GLK1 is also known to participate in retrograde signaling from chloroplasts to the nucleus. To elucidate the mechanism by which GLK1 is regulated in response to plastid signals, we biochemically characterized Arabidopsis GLK1 protein. Expression analysis of GLK1 protein indicated that GLK1 accumulates in aerial tissues. Both tissue-specific and Suc-dependent accumulation of GLK1 were regulated primarily at the transcriptional level. In contrast, norflurazon- or lincomycin-treated gun1-101 mutant expressing normal levels of GLK1 mRNA failed to accumulate GLK1 protein, suggesting that plastid signals directly regulate the accumulation of GLK1 protein in a GUN1-independent manner. Treatment of the glk1glk2 mutant expressing functional GFP-GLK1 with a proteasome inhibitor, MG-132, induced the accumulation of polyubiquitinated GFP-GLK1. Furthermore, the level of endogenous GLK1 in plants with damaged plastids was partially restored when those plants were treated with MG-132. Collectively, these data indicate that the ubiquitin-proteasome system participates in the degradation of Arabidopsis GLK1 in response to plastid signals.

ChloroSeq, an Optimized Chloroplast RNA-Seq Bioinformatic Pipeline, Reveals Remodeling of the Organellar Transcriptome Under Heat Stress

Although RNA-Seq has revolutionized transcript analysis, organellar transcriptomes are rarely assessed even when present in published datasets. Here, we describe the development and application of a rapid and convenient method, ChloroSeq, to delineate qualitative and quantitative features of chloroplast RNA metabolism from strand-specific RNA-Seq datasets, including processing, editing, splicing, and relative transcript abundance. The use of a single experiment to analyze systematically chloroplast transcript maturation and abundance is of particular interest due to frequent pleiotropic effects observed in mutants that affect chloroplast gene expression and/or photosynthesis. To illustrate its utility, ChloroSeq was applied to published RNA-Seq datasets derived from Arabidopsis thaliana grown under control and abiotic stress conditions, where the organellar transcriptome had not been examined. The most appreciable effects were found for heat stress, which induces a global reduction in splicing and editing efficiency, and leads to increased abundance of chloroplast transcripts, including genic, intergenic, and antisense transcripts. Moreover, by concomitantly analyzing nuclear transcripts that encode chloroplast gene expression regulators from the same libraries, we demonstrate the possibility of achieving a holistic understanding of the nucleus-organelle system. ChloroSeq thus represents a unique method for streamlining RNA-Seq data interpretation of the chloroplast transcriptome and its regulators.

Definition of a core module for the nuclear retrograde response to altered organellar gene expression identifies GLK overexpressors as gun mutants

Retrograde signaling can be triggered by changes in organellar gene expression (OGE) induced by inhibitors such as lincomycin (LIN) or mutations that perturb OGE. Thus, an insufficiency of the organelle-targeted prolyl-tRNA synthetase PRORS1 in Arabidopsis thaliana activates retrograde signaling and reduces the expression of nuclear genes for photosynthetic proteins. Recently, we showed that mTERF6, a member of the so-called mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) family, is involved in the formation of chloroplast (cp) isoleucine-tRNA. To obtain further insights into its functions, co-expression analysis of MTERF6, PRORS1 and two other genes for organellar aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases was conducted. The results suggest a prominent role of mTERF6 in aminoacylation activity, light signaling and seed storage. Analysis of changes in whole-genome transcriptomes in the mterf6-1 mutant showed that levels of nuclear transcripts for cp OGE proteins were particularly affected. Comparison of the mterf6-1 transcriptome with that of prors1-2 showed that reduced aminoacylation of proline (prors1-2) and isoleucine (mterf6-1) tRNAs alters retrograde signaling in similar ways. Database analyses indicate that comparable gene expression changes are provoked by treatment with LIN, norflurazon or high light. A core OGE response module was defined by identifying genes that were differentially expressed under at least four of six conditions relevant to OGE signaling. Based on this module, overexpressors of the Golden2-like transcription factors GLK1 and GLK2 were identified as genomes uncoupled mutants.

Learning the Languages of the Chloroplast: Retrograde Signaling and Beyond

The chloroplast can act as an environmental sensor, communicating with the cell during biogenesis and operation to change the expression of thousands of proteins. This process, termed retrograde signaling, regulates expression in response to developmental cues and stresses that affect photosynthesis and yield. Recent advances have identified many signals and pathways-including carotenoid derivatives, isoprenes, phosphoadenosines, tetrapyrroles, and heme, together with reactive oxygen species and proteins-that build a communication network to regulate gene expression, RNA turnover, and splicing. However, retrograde signaling pathways have been viewed largely as a means of bilateral communication between organelles and nuclei, ignoring their potential to interact with hormone signaling and the cell as a whole to regulate plant form and function. Here, we discuss new findings on the processes by which organelle communication is initiated, transmitted, and perceived, not only to regulate chloroplastic processes but also to intersect with cellular signaling and alter physiological responses.

Light intensity-dependent retrograde signalling in higher plants

Plants are able to acclimate to highly fluctuating light environment and evolved a short- and long-term light acclimatory responses, that are dependent on chloroplasts retrograde signalling. In this review we summarise recent evidences suggesting that the chloroplasts act as key sensors of light intensity changes in a wide range (low, high and excess light conditions) as well as sensors of darkness. They also participate in transduction and synchronisation of systemic retrograde signalling in response to differential light exposure of distinct leaves. Regulation of intra- and inter-cellular chloroplast retrograde signalling is dependent on the developmental and functional stage of the plastids. Therefore, it is discussed in following subsections: firstly, chloroplast biogenic control of nuclear genes, for example, signals related to photosystems and pigment biogenesis during early plastid development; secondly, signals in the mature chloroplast induced by changes in photosynthetic electron transport, reactive oxygen species, hormones and metabolite biosynthesis; thirdly, chloroplast signalling during leaf senescence. Moreover, with a help of meta-analysis of multiple microarray experiments, we showed that the expression of the same set of genes is regulated specifically in particular types of signals and types of light conditions. Furthermore, we also highlight the alternative scenarios of the chloroplast retrograde signals transduction and coordination linked to the role of photo-electrochemical signalling.

The roles of two transcription factors, ABI4 and CBFA, in ABA and plastid signalling and stress responses

Genetic and physiological studies have revealed evidences for multiple signaling pathways by which the plastid exerts retrograde control over photosynthesis-associated-nuclear-genes. In this study we have examined the mechanisms of control of transcription by plastid signals, focusing on transcription factors. We have also further addressed the physical nature of plastid signals and the physiological role, in stress acclimation of this regulatory pathway. ABI4, a master Apetala 2 (AP2)-type transcription factor (TF), is targeted by multiple signalling pathways in plant cells, such as abscisic acid (ABA) signals, sugar signals and plastid signals derived from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and chlorophyll intermediates. ABI4 binds the promoter of target genes to prevent their transcription by competing with other competitive TFs. However, we found that once ABI4 bound the element (CCACGT), it may not be bound by other TFs, therefore making the signalling long-lasting. Downstream of ABI4, CBFA (CCAAT binding factor A) is a subunit of the HAP2/HAP3/HAP5 (Heme activator protein) trimeric transcription complex. CBFA however is a redundant HAP3 subunit. When emergency occurs (such as herbicide treatments or environmental stresses followed by ABA and ROS accumulation), the master transcription factor ABI4 down-regulates some TFs, like CBFA, and then some other TF subunits enter the transcription complex and transcriptional efficiency of stress-responsive genes (including the transcription co-factor CBP) is improved instantaneously. abi4, cbfA and cbp mutants showed weaker drought-tolerance after a herbicide norflurazon treatment, which indicated the physiological role of these key transcription factors.

Differential regulation of Arabidopsis plastid gene expression and RNA editing in non-photosynthetic tissues

RNA editing is one of the post-transcriptional processes that commonly occur in plant plastids and mitochondria. In Arabidopsis, 34 C-to-U RNA editing events, affecting transcripts of 18 plastid genes, have been identified. Here, we examined the editing and expression of these transcripts in different organs, and in green and non-green seedlings (etiolated, cia5-2, ispF and ispG albino mutants, lincomycin-, and norflurazon-treated). The editing efficiency of Arabidopsis plastid transcripts varies from site to site, and may be specifically regulated in different tissues. Steady state levels of plastid transcripts are low or undetectable in etiolated seedlings, but most editing sites are edited with efficiencies similar to those observed in green seedlings. By contrast, the editing of some sites is completely lost or significantly reduced in other non-green tissues; for instance, the editing of ndhB-149, ndhB-1255, and ndhD-2 is completely lost in roots and in lincomycin-treated seedlings. The editing of ndhD-2 is also completely lost in albino mutants and norflurazon-treated seedlings. However, matK-640 is completely edited, and accD-794, atpF-92, psbE-214, psbF-77, psbZ-50, and rps14-50 are completely or highly edited in both green and non-green tissues. In addition, the expression of nucleus-encoded RNA polymerase dependent transcripts is specifically induced by lincomycin, and the splicing of ndhB transcripts is significantly reduced in the albino mutants and inhibitor-treated seedlings. Our results indicate that plastid gene expression, and the splicing and editing of plastid transcripts are specifically and differentially regulated in various types of non-green tissues.

A model for tetrapyrrole synthesis as the primary mechanism for plastid-to-nucleus signaling during chloroplast biogenesis

Chloroplast biogenesis involves the co-ordinated expression of the chloroplast and nuclear genomes, requiring information to be sent from the developing chloroplasts to the nucleus. This is achieved through retrograde signaling pathways and can be demonstrated experimentally using the photobleaching herbicide, norflurazon, which in seedlings results in chloroplast damage and the reduced expression of many photosynthesis-related, nuclear genes. Genetic analysis of this pathway points to a major role for tetrapyrrole synthesis in retrograde signaling, as well as a strong interaction with light signaling pathways. Currently, the best model to explain the genetic data is that a specific heme pool generated by flux through ferrochelatase-1 functions as a positive signal to promote the expression of genes required for chloroplast development. We propose that this heme-related signal is the primary positive signal during chloroplast biogenesis, and that treatments and mutations affecting chloroplast transcription, RNA editing, translation, or protein import all impact on the synthesis and/or processing of this signal. A positive signal is consistent with the need to provide information on chloroplast status at all times. We further propose that GUN1 normally serves to restrict the production of the heme signal. In addition to a positive signal re-enforcing chloroplast development under normal conditions, aberrant chloroplast development may produce a negative signal due to accumulation of unbound chlorophyll biosynthesis intermediates, such as Mg-porphyrins. Under these conditions a rapid shut-down of tetrapyrrole synthesis is required. We propose that accumulation of these intermediates results in a rapid light-dependent inhibition of nuclear gene expression that is most likely mediated via singlet oxygen generated by photo-excitation of Mg-porphyrins. Thus, the tetrapyrrole pathway may provide both positive and inhibitory signals to control expression of nuclear genes.

Dual targeting and retrograde translocation: regulators of plant nuclear gene expression can be sequestered by plastids

Changes in the developmental or metabolic state of plastids can trigger profound changes in the transcript profiles of nuclear genes. Many nuclear transcription factors were shown to be controlled by signals generated in the organelles. In addition to the many different compounds for which an involvement in retrograde signaling is discussed, accumulating evidence suggests a role for proteins in plastid-to-nucleus communication. These proteins might be sequestered in the plastids before they act as transcriptional regulators in the nucleus. Indeed, several proteins exhibiting a dual localization in the plastids and the nucleus are promising candidates for such a direct signal transduction involving regulatory protein storage in the plastids. Among such proteins, the nuclear transcription factor WHIRLY1 stands out as being the only protein for which an export from plastids and translocation to the nucleus has been experimentally demonstrated. Other proteins, however, strongly support the notion that this pathway might be more common than currently believed.

Plastids are major regulators of light signaling in Arabidopsis

We previously provided evidence that plastid signaling regulates the downstream components of a light signaling network and that this signal integration coordinates chloroplast biogenesis with both the light environment and development by regulating gene expression. We tested these ideas by analyzing light- and plastid-regulated transcriptomes in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found that the enrichment of Gene Ontology terms in these transcriptomes is consistent with the integration of light and plastid signaling (1) down-regulating photosynthesis and inducing both repair and stress tolerance in dysfunctional chloroplasts and (2) helping coordinate processes such as growth, the circadian rhythm, and stress responses with the degree of chloroplast function. We then tested whether factors that contribute to this signal integration are also regulated by light and plastid signals by characterizing T-DNA insertion alleles of genes that are regulated by light and plastid signaling and that encode proteins that are annotated as contributing to signaling, transcription, or no known function. We found that a high proportion of these mutant alleles induce chloroplast biogenesis during deetiolation. We quantified the expression of four photosynthesis-related genes in seven of these enhanced deetiolation (end) mutants and found that photosynthesis-related gene expression is attenuated. This attenuation is particularly striking for Photosystem II subunit S expression. We conclude that the integration of light and plastid signaling regulates a number of END genes that help optimize chloroplast function and that at least some END genes affect photosynthesis-related gene expression.