Chloroplast development in Arabidopsis thaliana requires the nuclear-encoded transcription factor sigma B

FEBS Lett. 2000 Nov 24;485(2-3):178-82. doi: 10.1016/s0014-5793(00)02216-x.

Abstract

Development of plastids into chloroplasts, the organelles of photosynthesis, is triggered by light. However, little is known of the factors involved in the complex coordination of light-induced plastid gene expression, which must be directed by both nuclear and plastid genomes. We have isolated an Arabidopsis mutant, abc1, with impaired chloroplast development, which results in a pale green leaf phenotype. The mutated nuclear gene encodes a sigma factor, SigB, presumably for the eubacterial-like plastid RNA polymerase. Our results provide direct evidence that a nuclear-derived prokaryotic-like SigB protein, plays a critical role in the coordination of the two genomes for chloroplast development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / genetics
  • Arabidopsis / ultrastructure*
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Bacterial Proteins / physiology*
  • Cell Nucleus / chemistry*
  • Chloroplasts / genetics
  • Chloroplasts / physiology*
  • Chloroplasts / ultrastructure
  • DNA, Plant / genetics
  • Fluorometry
  • Gene Expression
  • Light
  • Mutation
  • Phenotype
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development
  • Plastids / metabolism
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sigma Factor / genetics
  • Sigma Factor / physiology*
  • Transcription Factors*

Substances

  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Plant
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • SigB protein, Bacteria
  • Sigma Factor
  • Transcription Factors