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Discrimintion and Mapping of the Primary and Processed Transcripts in Maize Mitochondrion Using a Circular RT-PCR-based Strategy
Published on: July 29, 2019
The nuclear-localized RNA helicase 13 is essential for chloroplast development in Arabidopsis thaliana
1State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, College of Life Science, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China.
Abstract:
The chloroplast is a semi-autonomous organelle with a double membrane structure, and its structural stability is a prerequisite for its correct function. Chloroplast development is regulated by known nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins or proteins encoded within the chloroplast itself. However, the mechanism of chloroplast development regulated by other organelles remains largely unknown. Here, we report that the nuclear-localized DEAD-box RNA helicase 13 (RH13) is essential for chloroplast development in Arabidopsis thaliana. RH13 is widely expressed in tissues and localized to the nucleolus. A homozygous rh13 mutant shows abnormal chloroplast structure and leaf morphogenesis. Proteomic analysis showed that the expression levels of photosynthesis-related proteins in chloroplasts were reduced due to loss of RH13. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing and proteomics data revealed decreases in the expression levels of these chloroplast-related genes, which undergo alternative splicing events in the rh13 mutant. Taken together, we propose that nucleolus-localized RH13 is critical for chloroplast development in Arabidopsis.
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