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An mt(+) gamete-specific nuclease that targets mt(-) chloroplasts during sexual reproduction in C. reinhardtii.

ABSTRACT: Although the active digestion of mating-type minus (mt-) chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) in young zygotes is considered to be the basis for the uniparental inheritance of cpDNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. One model of active digestion proposes that nucleases are either synthesized or activated to digest mt- cpDNA. We used a native-PAGE/in gelo assay to investigate nuclease activities in chloroplasts from young zygotes, and identified a novel Ca(2+)-dependent nuclease activity. The timing of activation (approximately 60-90 min after mating) and the localization of the nuclease activity (in mt- chloroplasts) coincided with the active digestion of mt- cpDNA. Furthermore, the activity of the nuclease was coregulated with the maturation of mating-type plus (mt+) gametes, which would enable the efficient digestion of mt- cpDNA. Based on these observations, we propose that the nuclease (designated as Mt(+)-specific DNase, MDN) is a developmentally controlled nuclease that is activated in mt+ gametes and participates in the destruction of mt- cpDNA in young zygotes, thereby ensuring uniparental inheritance of chloroplast traits.

SUBMITTER: Nishimura Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC186255 | biostudies-literature | 2002 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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An mt(+) gamete-specific nuclease that targets mt(-) chloroplasts during sexual reproduction in C. reinhardtii.

Nishimura Yoshiki Y Misumi Osami O Kato Ko K Inada Noriko N Higashiyama Tetsuya T Momoyama Yu Y Kuroiwa Tsuneyoshi T

Genes & development 20020501 9

Although the active digestion of mating-type minus (mt-) chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) in young zygotes is considered to be the basis for the uniparental inheritance of cpDNA in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, little is known about the underlying molecular mechanism. One model of active digestion proposes that nucleases are either synthesized or activated to digest mt- cpDNA. We used a native-PAGE/in gelo assay to investigate nuclease activities in chloroplasts from young zygotes, and identified a novel Ca ...[more]

PMID: 12000794

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Project description:Dual targeting is a relatively little explored phenomenon by which some proteins are transported to two different subcellular compartments, such as chloroplasts and mitochondria. We previously showed that the R domain and the arm region of the melon necrotic spot virus coat protein could act as a dual-targeting peptide, which shares many relevant features in structure, amino acid composition, and functionality with that of the Thr-tRNA synthetases, the best-studied dual-targeted proteins by far. Here, we show that a viral coat protein hijacks the general pathways for organellar protein import and identifies the coat protein-interacting organellar translocon receptors. Our findings demonstrate for the first time that an exogenous dual-targeted protein uses the general Toc and Tom import systems to reach mitochondria and chloroplasts because it depends on the availability of NbToc75 and NbTom40. Interaction studies, subcellular localization analysis, and viral infection assays in silenced plants revealed the significance of plant receptors, such as the mitochondrion NbOm64 and chloroplast NbToc159A, in this transport. We also show that chloroplast protein translocation impairment could be interlinked with retrograde communication triggering a JA-based response that incidentally impairs viral infection. Future research may profit from our results to better comprehend cellular communication, protein import mechanisms, how preproteins interact with their receptors, and how plant pathogens manipulate host machinery to their ends. IMPORTANCE Many plant proteins and some proteins from plant pathogens are dually targeted to chloroplasts and mitochondria, and are supposed to be transported along the general pathways for organellar protein import, but this issue has not been explored yet. Moreover, organellar translocon receptors exist as families of several members whose functional specialization in different cargos is supposed but not thoroughly studied. This article provides novel insights into such topics showing for the first time that an exogenous protein, the melon necrotic spot virus coat protein, exploits the common Toc/Tom import systems to enter both mitochondria and chloroplasts while identifying the involved specific receptors.

Dataset Information

An mt(+) gamete-specific nuclease that targets mt(-) chloroplasts during sexual reproduction in C. reinhardtii.

Publications

An mt(+) gamete-specific nuclease that targets mt(-) chloroplasts during sexual reproduction in C. reinhardtii.

Similar Datasets

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