Pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, composing one of the largest protein families in plants, are involved in RNA binding and regulation of organelle RNA metabolism at the post-transcriptional level. Although several PPR proteins have been implicated in endosperm development in rice (Oryza sativa), the molecular functions of many PPRs remain obscure. Here, we identified a rice endosperm mutant named floury endosperm 18 (flo18) with pleiotropic defects in both reproductive and vegetative development. Map-based cloning and complementation tests showed that FLO18 encodes a mitochondrion-targeted P-type PPR protein with 15 PPR motifs. Mitochondrial function was disrupted in the flo18 mutant, as evidenced by decreased assembly of Complex I in the mitochondrial electron transport chain and altered mitochondrial morphology. Loss of FLO18 function resulted in defective 5'-end processing of mitochondrial nad5 transcripts encoding subunit 5 of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogenase. These results suggested that FLO18 is involved in 5'-end processing of nad5 messenger RNA and plays an important role in mitochondrial function and endosperm development.
Keywords: 5′ end processing; PPR; aleurone layer; endosperm development; mitochondria; nad5.
© 2020 Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences.