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Raza A, Siddique KHM, Hu Z. Chloroplast gene control: unlocking RNA thermometer mechanisms in photosynthetic systems. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 29:623-625. [PMID: 38311501 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
RNA thermometers offer straightforward, protein-independent methods to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In this context, Chung and colleagues have discovered a revolutionary RNA thermometer in the chloroplast genome of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. This will facilitate temperature-driven control of inducible transgene expression for biotechnology applications in plant and algal systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Raza
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; College of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Collaborative Innovation Public Service Platform for Marine Algae Industry, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Kadambot H M Siddique
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Perth 6009, Australia
| | - Zhangli Hu
- Shenzhen Engineering Laboratory for Marine Algal Biotechnology, Guangdong Technology Research Center for Marine Algal Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China; Shenzhen Collaborative Innovation Public Service Platform for Marine Algae Industry, Longhua Innovation Institute for Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
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2
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Gotsmann VL, Ting MKY, Haase N, Rudorf S, Zoschke R, Willmund F. Utilizing high-resolution ribosome profiling for the global investigation of gene expression in Chlamydomonas. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 117:1614-1634. [PMID: 38047591 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Ribosome profiling (Ribo-seq) is a powerful method for the deep analysis of translation mechanisms and regulatory circuits during gene expression. Extraction and sequencing of ribosome-protected fragments (RPFs) and parallel RNA-seq yields genome-wide insight into translational dynamics and post-transcriptional control of gene expression. Here, we provide details on the Ribo-seq method and the subsequent analysis with the unicellular model alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlamydomonas) for generating high-resolution data covering more than 10 000 different transcripts. Detailed analysis of the ribosomal offsets on transcripts uncovers presumable transition states during translocation of elongating ribosomes within the 5' and 3' sections of transcripts and characteristics of eukaryotic translation termination, which are fundamentally distinct for chloroplast translation. In chloroplasts, a heterogeneous RPF size distribution along the coding sequence indicates specific regulatory phases during protein synthesis. For example, local accumulation of small RPFs correlates with local slowdown of psbA translation, possibly uncovering an uncharacterized regulatory step during PsbA/D1 synthesis. Further analyses of RPF distribution along specific cytosolic transcripts revealed characteristic patterns of translation elongation exemplified for the major light-harvesting complex proteins, LHCs. By providing high-quality datasets for all subcellular genomes and attaching our data to the Chlamydomonas reference genome, we aim to make ribosome profiles easily accessible for the broad research community. The data can be browsed without advanced bioinformatic background knowledge for translation output levels of specific genes and their splice variants and for monitoring genome annotation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Leon Gotsmann
- Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 23, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Michael Kien Yin Ting
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Nadin Haase
- Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Leibniz University Hanover, Herrenhäuser-Str. 2, 30419, Hanover, Germany
| | - Sophia Rudorf
- Institute of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Leibniz University Hanover, Herrenhäuser-Str. 2, 30419, Hanover, Germany
| | - Reimo Zoschke
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Felix Willmund
- Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Paul-Ehrlich-Str. 23, 67663, Kaiserslautern, Germany
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Chung KP, Loiacono FV, Neupert J, Wu M, Bock R. An RNA thermometer in the chloroplast genome of Chlamydomonas facilitates temperature-controlled gene expression. Nucleic Acids Res 2023; 51:11386-11400. [PMID: 37855670 PMCID: PMC10639063 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Riboregulators such as riboswitches and RNA thermometers provide simple, protein-independent tools to control gene expression at the post-transcriptional level. In bacteria, RNA thermometers regulate protein synthesis in response to temperature shifts. Thermometers outside of the bacterial world are rare, and in organellar genomes, no RNA thermometers have been identified to date. Here we report the discovery of an RNA thermometer in a chloroplast gene of the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The thermometer, residing in the 5' untranslated region of the psaA messenger RNA forms a hairpin-type secondary structure that masks the Shine-Dalgarno sequence at 25°C. At 40°C, melting of the secondary structure increases accessibility of the Shine-Dalgarno sequence to initiating ribosomes, thus enhancing protein synthesis. By targeted nucleotide substitutions and transfer of the thermometer into Escherichia coli, we show that the secondary structure is necessary and sufficient to confer the thermometer properties. We also demonstrate that the thermometer provides a valuable tool for inducible transgene expression from the Chlamydomonas plastid genome, in that a simple temperature shift of the algal culture can greatly increase recombinant protein yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kin Pan Chung
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - F Vanessa Loiacono
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Juliane Neupert
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Mengting Wu
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Department Organelle Biology, Biotechnology and Molecular Ecophysiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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Ries F, Weil HL, Herkt C, Mühlhaus T, Sommer F, Schroda M, Willmund F. Competition co-immunoprecipitation reveals the interactors of the chloroplast CPN60 chaperonin machinery. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:3371-3391. [PMID: 37606545 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
The functionality of all metabolic processes in chloroplasts depends on a balanced integration of nuclear- and chloroplast-encoded polypeptides into the plastid's proteome. The chloroplast chaperonin machinery is an essential player in chloroplast protein folding under ambient and stressful conditions, with a more intricate structure and subunit composition compared to the orthologous GroEL/ES chaperonin of Escherichia coli. However, its exact role in chloroplasts remains obscure, mainly because of very limited knowledge about the interactors. We employed the competition immunoprecipitation method for the identification of the chaperonin's interactors in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Co-immunoprecipitation of the target complex in the presence of increasing amounts of isotope-labelled competitor epitope and subsequent mass spectrometry analysis specifically allowed to distinguish true interactors from unspecifically co-precipitated proteins. Besides known substrates such as RbcL and the expected complex partners, we revealed numerous new interactors with high confidence. Proteins that qualify as putative substrate proteins differ from bulk chloroplast proteins by a higher content of beta-sheets, lower alpha-helical conformation and increased aggregation propensity. Immunoprecipitations targeted against a subunit of the co-chaperonin lid revealed the ClpP protease as a specific partner complex, pointing to a close collaboration of these machineries to maintain protein homeostasis in the chloroplast.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Ries
- Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Heinrich Lukas Weil
- Computational Systems Biology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Claudia Herkt
- Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Timo Mühlhaus
- Computational Systems Biology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Frederik Sommer
- Molecular Biotechnology and Systems Biology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Michael Schroda
- Molecular Biotechnology and Systems Biology, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Felix Willmund
- Molecular Genetics of Eukaryotes, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Kaiserslautern, Germany
- Plant Physiology/Synmikro, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Han SY, Kim WY, Kim JS, Hwang I. Comparative transcriptomics reveals the role of altered energy metabolism in the establishment of single-cell C 4 photosynthesis in Bienertia sinuspersici. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1202521. [PMID: 37476170 PMCID: PMC10354284 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1202521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell C4 photosynthesis (SCC4) in terrestrial plants without Kranz anatomy involves three steps: initial CO2 fixation in the cytosol, CO2 release in mitochondria, and a second CO2 fixation in central chloroplasts. Here, we investigated how the large number of mechanisms underlying these processes, which occur in three different compartments, are orchestrated in a coordinated manner to establish the C4 pathway in Bienertia sinuspersici, a SCC4 plant. Leaves were subjected to transcriptome analysis at three different developmental stages. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that SCC4 cycle genes are coexpressed with genes regulating cyclic electron flow and amino/organic acid metabolism, two key processes required for the production of energy molecules in C3 plants. Comparative gene expression profiling of B. sinuspersici and three other species (Suaeda aralocaspica, Amaranthus hypochondriacus, and Arabidopsis thaliana) showed that the direction of metabolic flux was determined via an alteration in energy supply in peripheral chloroplasts and mitochondria via regulation of gene expression in the direction of the C4 cycle. Based on these results, we propose that the redox homeostasis of energy molecules via energy metabolism regulation is key to the establishment of the SCC4 pathway in B. sinuspersici.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Yun Han
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
| | - Woe-Yeon Kim
- Division of Applied Life Science (BK21+) and Research Institute of Life Science, Institute of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Sun Kim
- Genomic Division, Department of Agricultural Bio-Resources, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Rural Development Administration, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Inhwan Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, Republic of Korea
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Fine Tuning of ROS, Redox and Energy Regulatory Systems Associated with the Functions of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria in Plants under Heat Stress. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021356. [PMID: 36674866 PMCID: PMC9865929 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Heat stress severely affects plant growth and crop production. It is therefore urgent to uncover the mechanisms underlying heat stress responses of plants and establish the strategies to enhance heat tolerance of crops. The chloroplasts and mitochondria are known to be highly sensitive to heat stress. Heat stress negatively impacts on the electron transport chains, leading to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause damages on the chloroplasts and mitochondria. Disruptions of photosynthetic and respiratory metabolisms under heat stress also trigger increase in ROS and alterations in redox status in the chloroplasts and mitochondria. However, ROS and altered redox status in these organelles also activate important mechanisms that maintain functions of these organelles under heat stress, which include HSP-dependent pathways, ROS scavenging systems and retrograde signaling. To discuss heat responses associated with energy regulating organelles, we should not neglect the energy regulatory hub involving TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) and SNF-RELATED PROTEIN KINASE 1 (SnRK1). Although roles of TOR and SnRK1 in the regulation of heat responses are still unknown, contributions of these proteins to the regulation of the functions of energy producing organelles implicate the possible involvement of this energy regulatory hub in heat acclimation of plants.
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Gao LL, Hong ZH, Wang Y, Wu GZ. Chloroplast proteostasis: A story of birth, life, and death. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100424. [PMID: 35964157 PMCID: PMC9860172 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2022.100424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Protein homeostasis (proteostasis) is a dynamic balance of protein synthesis and degradation. Because of the endosymbiotic origin of chloroplasts and the massive transfer of their genetic information to the nucleus of the host cell, many protein complexes in the chloroplasts are constituted from subunits encoded by both genomes. Hence, the proper function of chloroplasts relies on the coordinated expression of chloroplast- and nucleus-encoded genes. The biogenesis and maintenance of chloroplast proteostasis are dependent on synthesis of chloroplast-encoded proteins, import of nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins from the cytosol, and clearance of damaged or otherwise undesired "old" proteins. This review focuses on the regulation of chloroplast proteostasis, its interaction with proteostasis of the cytosol, and its retrograde control over nuclear gene expression. We also discuss significant issues and perspectives for future studies and potential applications for improving the photosynthetic performance and stress tolerance of crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin-Lin Gao
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Zheng-Hui Hong
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yinsong Wang
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Guo-Zhang Wu
- Shanghai Collaborative Innovation Center of Agri-Seeds, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China; Joint Center for Single Cell Biology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
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Jan M, Liu Z, Rochaix JD, Sun X. Retrograde and anterograde signaling in the crosstalk between chloroplast and nucleus. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:980237. [PMID: 36119624 PMCID: PMC9478734 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.980237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The chloroplast is a complex cellular organelle that not only performs photosynthesis but also synthesizes amino acids, lipids, and phytohormones. Nuclear and chloroplast genetic activity are closely coordinated through signaling chains from the nucleus to chloroplast, referred to as anterograde signaling, and from chloroplast to the nucleus, named retrograde signaling. The chloroplast can act as an environmental sensor and communicates with other cell compartments during its biogenesis and in response to stress, notably with the nucleus through retrograde signaling to regulate nuclear gene expression in response to developmental cues and stresses that affect photosynthesis and growth. Although several components involved in the generation and transmission of plastid-derived retrograde signals and in the regulation of the responsive nuclear genes have been identified, the plastid retrograde signaling network is still poorly understood. Here, we review the current knowledge on multiple plastid retrograde signaling pathways, and on potential plastid signaling molecules. We also discuss the retrograde signaling-dependent regulation of nuclear gene expression within the frame of a multilayered network of transcription factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masood Jan
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Zhixin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Jean-David Rochaix
- Department of Molecular Biology and Plant Biology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Xuwu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology and State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Adaptation and Improvement, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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