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Christian R, Labbancz J, Usadel B, Dhingra A. Understanding protein import in diverse non-green plastids. Front Genet 2023; 14:969931. [PMID: 37007964 PMCID: PMC10063809 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.969931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The spectacular diversity of plastids in non-green organs such as flowers, fruits, roots, tubers, and senescing leaves represents a Universe of metabolic processes in higher plants that remain to be completely characterized. The endosymbiosis of the plastid and the subsequent export of the ancestral cyanobacterial genome to the nuclear genome, and adaptation of the plants to all types of environments has resulted in the emergence of diverse and a highly orchestrated metabolism across the plant kingdom that is entirely reliant on a complex protein import and translocation system. The TOC and TIC translocons, critical for importing nuclear-encoded proteins into the plastid stroma, remain poorly resolved, especially in the case of TIC. From the stroma, three core pathways (cpTat, cpSec, and cpSRP) may localize imported proteins to the thylakoid. Non-canonical routes only utilizing TOC also exist for the insertion of many inner and outer membrane proteins, or in the case of some modified proteins, a vesicular import route. Understanding this complex protein import system is further compounded by the highly heterogeneous nature of transit peptides, and the varying transit peptide specificity of plastids depending on species and the developmental and trophic stage of the plant organs. Computational tools provide an increasingly sophisticated means of predicting protein import into highly diverse non-green plastids across higher plants, which need to be validated using proteomics and metabolic approaches. The myriad plastid functions enable higher plants to interact and respond to all kinds of environments. Unraveling the diversity of non-green plastid functions across the higher plants has the potential to provide knowledge that will help in developing climate resilient crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Christian
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - June Labbancz
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
| | | | - Amit Dhingra
- Department of Horticulture, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
- *Correspondence: Amit Dhingra,
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Kim DB, Na C, Hwang I, Lee DW. Understanding protein translocation across chloroplast membranes: Translocons and motor proteins. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:408-416. [PMID: 36223071 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13385] [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: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Subcellular organelles in eukaryotes are surrounded by lipid membranes. In an endomembrane system, vesicle trafficking is the primary mechanism for the delivery of organellar proteins to specific organelles. However, organellar proteins for chloroplasts, mitochondria, the nucleus, and peroxisomes that are translated in the cytosol are directly imported into their target organelles. Chloroplasts are a plant-specific organelle with outer and inner envelope membranes, a dual-membrane structure that is similar to mitochondria. Interior chloroplast proteins translated by cytosolic ribosomes are thus translocated through TOC and TIC complexes (translocons in the outer and inner envelope of chloroplasts, respectively), with stromal ATPase motor proteins playing a critical role in pulling pre-proteins through these import channels. Over the last three decades, the identity and function of TOC/TIC components and stromal motor proteins have been actively investigated, which has shed light on the action mechanisms at a molecular level. However, there remains some disagreement over the exact composition of TIC complexes and genuine stromal motor proteins. In this review, we discuss recent findings on the mechanisms by which proteins are translocated through TOC/TIC complexes and discuss future prospects for this field of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Da Been Kim
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
| | - Changhee Na
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
| | - Inhwan Hwang
- Department of Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673, Korea
| | - Dong Wook Lee
- Department of Integrative Food, Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
- Department of Bioenergy Science and Technology, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
- Kumho Life Science Laboratory, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, 61186, Korea
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3
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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: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [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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4
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Zheng XT, Wang C, Lin W, Lin C, Han D, Xie Q, Lai J, Yang C. Importation of chloroplast proteins under heat stress is facilitated by their SUMO conjugations. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 235:173-187. [PMID: 35347735 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are hypersensitive to heat stress (HS). SUMOylation, a critical post-translational modification, is conservatively involved in HS responses. However, the functional connection between SUMOylation and chloroplasts under HS remains to be studied. The bioinformatics, biochemistry, and cell biology analyses were used to detect the SUMOylation statuses of Arabidopsis nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins and the effect of SUMOylation on subcellular localization of these proteins under HS. PSBR, a subunit of photosystem II, was used as an example for a detailed investigation of functional mechanisms. After a global SUMOylation site prediction of nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins, biochemical data showed that most of the selected candidates are modified by SUMO3 in the cytoplasm. The chloroplast localization of these SUMOylation targets under long-term HS is partially maintained by the SUMO ligase AtSIZ1. The HS-induced SUMOylation on PSBR contributes to the maintenance of its chloroplast localization, which is dependent on its chloroplast importation efficiency correlated to phosphorylation. The complementation analysis provided evidence that SUMOylation is essential for the physiological function of PSBR under HS. Our study illustrated a general regulatory mechanism of SUMOylation in maintaining the chloroplast protein importation during HS and provided hints for further investigation on protein modifications associated with plant organelles under stress conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ting Zheng
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Caijuan Wang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenxiong Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chufang Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Danlu Han
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qi Xie
- Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jianbin Lai
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chengwei Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biotechnology for Plant Development, School of Life Science, South China Normal University, 510631, Guangzhou, China
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Jiang X, Coroian D, Barahona E, Echavarri-Erasun C, Castellanos-Rueda R, Eseverri Á, Aznar-Moreno JA, Burén S, Rubio LM. Functional Nitrogenase Cofactor Maturase NifB in Mitochondria and Chloroplasts of Nicotiana benthamiana. mBio 2022; 13:e0026822. [PMID: 35695456 PMCID: PMC9239050 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00268-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Engineering plants to synthesize nitrogenase and assimilate atmospheric N2 will reduce crop dependency on industrial N fertilizers. This technology can be achieved by expressing prokaryotic nitrogen fixation gene products for the assembly of a functional nitrogenase in plants. NifB is a critical nitrogenase component since it catalyzes the first committed step in the biosynthesis of all types of nitrogenase active-site cofactors. Here, we used a library of 30 distinct nifB sequences originating from different phyla and ecological niches to restore diazotrophic growth of an Azotobacter vinelandii nifB mutant. Twenty of these variants rescued the nifB mutant phenotype despite their phylogenetic distance to A. vinelandii. Because multiple protein interactions are required in the iron-molybdenum cofactor (FeMo-co) biosynthetic pathway, the maturation of nitrogenase in a heterologous host can be divided in independent modules containing interacting proteins that function together to produce a specific intermediate. Therefore, nifB functional modules composed of a nifB variant, together with the A. vinelandii NifS and NifU proteins (for biosynthesis of NifB [Fe4S4] clusters) and the FdxN ferredoxin (for NifB function), were expressed in Nicotiana benthamiana chloroplasts and mitochondria. Three archaeal NifB proteins accumulated at high levels in soluble fractions of chloroplasts (Methanosarcina acetivorans and Methanocaldococcus infernus) or mitochondria (M. infernus and Methanothermobacter thermautotrophicus). These NifB proteins were shown to accept [Fe4S4] clusters from NifU and were functional in FeMo-co synthesis in vitro. The accumulation of significant levels of soluble and functional NifB proteins in chloroplasts and mitochondria is critical to engineering biological nitrogen fixation in plants. IMPORTANCE Biological nitrogen fixation is the conversion of inert atmospheric dinitrogen gas into nitrogen-reactive ammonia, a reaction catalyzed by the nitrogenase enzyme of diazotrophic bacteria and archaea. Because plants cannot fix their own nitrogen, introducing functional nitrogenase in cereals and other crop plants would reduce our strong dependency on N fertilizers. NifB is required for the biosynthesis of the active site cofactors of all nitrogenases, which arguably makes it the most important protein in global nitrogen fixation. NifB functionality is therefore a requisite to engineer a plant nitrogenase. The expression of nifB genes from a wide range of prokaryotes into the model diazotroph Azotobacter vinelandii shows a surprising level of genetic complementation suggestive of plasticity in the nitrogenase biosynthetic pathway. In addition, we obtained NifB proteins from both mitochondria and chloroplasts of tobacco that are functional in vitro after reconstitution by providing [Fe4S4] clusters from NifU, paving the way to nitrogenase cofactor biosynthesis in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Jiang
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana Coroian
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emma Barahona
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Carlos Echavarri-Erasun
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rocío Castellanos-Rueda
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Álvaro Eseverri
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jose A. Aznar-Moreno
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Stefan Burén
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis M. Rubio
- Centro de Biotecnología y Genómica de Plantas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Biotecnología-Biología Vegetal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Alimentaria y de Biosistemas, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Protein import into chloroplasts and its regulation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 48:71-82. [PMID: 31922184 PMCID: PMC7054747 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are photosynthetic plant organelles descended from a bacterial ancestor. The vast majority of chloroplast proteins are synthesized in the cytosol and then imported into the chloroplast post-translationally. Translocation complexes exist in the organelle's outer and inner envelope membranes (termed TOC and TIC, respectively) to facilitate protein import. These systems recognize chloroplast precursor proteins and mediate their import in an energy-dependent manner. However, many unanswered questions remain regarding mechanistic details of the import process and the participation and functions of individual components; for example, the cytosolic events that mediate protein delivery to chloroplasts, the composition of the TIC apparatus, and the nature of the protein import motor all require resolution. The flux of proteins through TOC and TIC varies greatly throughout development and in response to specific environmental cues. The import process is, therefore, tightly regulated, and it has emerged that the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) plays a key role in this regard, acting at several different steps in the process. The UPS is involved in: the selective degradation of transcription factors that co-ordinate the expression of chloroplast precursor proteins; the removal of unimported chloroplast precursor proteins in the cytosol; the inhibition of chloroplast biogenesis pre-germination; and the reconfiguration of the TOC apparatus in response to developmental and environmental signals in a process termed chloroplast-associated protein degradation. In this review, we highlight recent advances in our understanding of protein import into chloroplasts and how this process is regulated by the UPS.
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Bölter B. En route into chloroplasts: preproteins' way home. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2018; 138:263-275. [PMID: 29943212 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-018-0542-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are the characteristic endosymbiotic organelles of plant cells which during the course of evolution lost most of their genetic information to the nucleus. Thus, they critically depend on the host cell for allocation of nearly their complete protein supply. This includes gene expression, translation, protein targeting, and transport-all of which need to be tightly regulated and perfectly coordinated to accommodate the cells' needs. To this end, multiple signaling pathways have been implemented that interchange information between the different cellular compartments. One of the most complex and energy consuming processes is the translocation of chloroplast-destined proteins into their target organelle. It is a concerted effort from chaperones, receptor proteins, channels, and regulatory elements to ensure correct targeting, efficient transport, and subsequent folding. Although we have discovered and learned a lot about protein import into chloroplasts in the last decades, there are still many open questions and debates about the roles of individual proteins as well as the mechanistic details. In this review, I will summarize and discuss the published data with a focus on the translocation complex in the chloroplast inner envelope membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Bölter
- Department Biologie I, Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Planegg-Martinsried, Germany.
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Law YS, Ngan L, Yan J, Kwok LY, Sun Y, Cheng S, Schwenkert S, Lim BL. Multiple Kinases Can Phosphorylate the N-Terminal Sequences of Mitochondrial Proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:982. [PMID: 30042778 PMCID: PMC6048449 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Phosphorylation of the transit peptides of nuclear-encoded preprotein is a well-known regulatory process of protein import in plant chloroplasts. In the Arabidopsis Protein Phosphorylation Site Database, 103 out of 802 mitochondrial proteins were found to contain one or more experimentally proven phosphorylation sites in their first 60 amino acid residues. Analysis of the N-terminal sequences of selected mitochondrial preproteins and their homologs from 64 plant species showed high conservation among phosphorylation sites. The ability of kinases from various sources including leaf extract (LE), root extract (RE), wheat germ lysate (WGL), and STY kinases to phosphorylate N-terminal sequences of several respiratory chain proteins were examined by in vitro kinase assays. The three STY kinases were shown to phosphorylate the N-terminal sequences of some proteins we tested but exhibited different specificities. Interestingly, the N-terminal sequences of two mitochondrial ATP synthase beta subunit 1/3 (pF1β-1/3) could be phosphorylated by LE and RE but not by STY kinases, suggesting that there are uncharacterized presequence-phosphorylating kinases other than STY kinases present in RE and LE. Mitochondrial import studies showed that the import of RRL-synthesized pF1βs was impeded by the treatment of LE, and the addition of a short SSU transit peptide containing a phosphorylatable 14-3-3 binding site could enhance the import of LE-treated pF1βs. Our results suggested that the transit peptide of pSSU can compete with the presequences of pF1βs for an uncharacterized kinase(s) in leaf. Altogether, our data showed that phosphorylation of transit peptides/presequences are not uncommon for chloroplast-targeted and mitochondria-targeted proteins, albeit possibly differentially regulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Song Law
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Ling Ngan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Junran Yan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Lok Y. Kwok
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Yuzhe Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Shifeng Cheng
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Serena Schwenkert
- Department of Biology I, Botany, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Boon L. Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong
- *Correspondence: Boon L. Lim,
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Sjuts I, Soll J, Bölter B. Import of Soluble Proteins into Chloroplasts and Potential Regulatory Mechanisms. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:168. [PMID: 28228773 PMCID: PMC5296341 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/26/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Chloroplasts originated from an endosymbiotic event in which a free-living cyanobacterium was engulfed by an ancestral eukaryotic host. During evolution the majority of the chloroplast genetic information was transferred to the host cell nucleus. As a consequence, proteins formerly encoded by the chloroplast genome are now translated in the cytosol and must be subsequently imported into the chloroplast. This process involves three steps: (i) cytosolic sorting procedures, (ii) binding to the designated receptor-equipped target organelle and (iii) the consecutive translocation process. During import, proteins have to overcome the two barriers of the chloroplast envelope, namely the outer envelope membrane (OEM) and the inner envelope membrane (IEM). In the majority of cases, this is facilitated by two distinct multiprotein complexes, located in the OEM and IEM, respectively, designated TOC and TIC. Plants are constantly exposed to fluctuating environmental conditions such as temperature and light and must therefore regulate protein composition within the chloroplast to ensure optimal functioning of elementary processes such as photosynthesis. In this review we will discuss the recent models of each individual import stage with regard to short-term strategies that plants might use to potentially acclimate to changes in their environmental conditions and preserve the chloroplast protein homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inga Sjuts
- Department Biologie I-Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätPlanegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Jürgen Soll
- Department Biologie I-Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätPlanegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science CiPSM, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMunich, Germany
| | - Bettina Bölter
- Department Biologie I-Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätPlanegg-Martinsried, Germany
- Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science CiPSM, Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMunich, Germany
- *Correspondence: Bettina Bölter,
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Zhang R, Guan X, Law YS, Sun F, Chen S, Wong KB, Lim BL. AtPAP2 modulates the import of the small subunit of Rubisco into chloroplasts. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2016; 11:e1239687. [PMID: 27700374 PMCID: PMC5117095 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2016.1239687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Arabidopsis thaliana purple acid phosphatase 2 (AtPAP2) is the only phosphatase that is dual-targeted to both chloroplasts and mitochondria. Like Toc33/34 of the TOC and Tom 20 of the TOM, AtPAP2 is anchored to the outer membranes of chloroplasts and mitochondria via a hydrophobic C-terminal motif. AtPAP2 on the mitochondria was previously shown to recognize the presequences of several nuclear-encoded mitochondrial proteins and modulate the import of pMORF3 into the mitochondria. Here we show that AtPAP2 binds to the small subunit of Rubisco (pSSU) and that chloroplast import experiments demonstrated that pSSU was imported less efficiently into pap2 chloroplasts than into wild-type chloroplasts. We propose that AtPAP2 is an outer membrane-bound phosphatase receptor that facilitates the import of selected proteins into chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renshan Zhang
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoqian Guan
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Feng Sun
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuai Chen
- Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kam Bo Wong
- Centre for Protein Science and Crystallography, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Boon Leong Lim
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
- State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
- CONTACT Boon Leong LIM
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Holbrook K, Subramanian C, Chotewutmontri P, Reddick LE, Wright S, Zhang H, Moncrief L, Bruce BD. Functional Analysis of Semi-conserved Transit Peptide Motifs and Mechanistic Implications in Precursor Targeting and Recognition. MOLECULAR PLANT 2016; 9:1286-1301. [PMID: 27378725 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2016] [Revised: 05/13/2016] [Accepted: 06/07/2016] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Over 95% of plastid proteins are nuclear-encoded as their precursors containing an N-terminal extension known as the transit peptide (TP). Although highly variable, TPs direct the precursors through a conserved, posttranslational mechanism involving translocons in the outer (TOC) and inner envelope (TOC). The organelle import specificity is mediated by one or more components of the Toc complex. However, the high TP diversity creates a paradox on how the sequences can be specifically recognized. An emerging model of TP design is that they contain multiple loosely conserved motifs that are recognized at different steps in the targeting and transport process. Bioinformatics has demonstrated that many TPs contain semi-conserved physicochemical motifs, termed FGLK. In order to characterize FGLK motifs in TP recognition and import, we have analyzed two well-studied TPs from the precursor of RuBisCO small subunit (SStp) and ferredoxin (Fdtp). Both SStp and Fdtp contain two FGLK motifs. Analysis of large set mutations (∼85) in these two motifs using in vitro, in organello, and in vivo approaches support a model in which the FGLK domains mediate interaction with TOC34 and possibly other TOC components. In vivo import analysis suggests that multiple FGLK motifs are functionally redundant. Furthermore, we discuss how FGLK motifs are required for efficient precursor protein import and how these elements may permit a convergent function of this highly variable class of targeting sequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Holbrook
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Chitra Subramanian
- Graduate Program in Plant Physiology and Genetics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | | | - L Evan Reddick
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Sarah Wright
- Department of Botany, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Huixia Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Lily Moncrief
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
| | - Barry D Bruce
- Department of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Graduate Program in Plant Physiology and Genetics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA; Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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Garg SG, Gould SB. The Role of Charge in Protein Targeting Evolution. Trends Cell Biol 2016; 26:894-905. [PMID: 27524662 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2016.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Two eukaryotic compartments are of endosymbiotic origin, the mitochondrion and plastid. These organelles need to import hundreds of proteins from the cytosol. The import machineries of both are of independent origin, but function in a similar fashion and recognize N-terminal targeting sequences that also share similarities. Targeting, however, is generally specific, even though plastid targeting evolved in the presence of established mitochondrial targeting. Here we review current advances on protein import into mitochondria and plastids from diverse eukaryotic lineages and highlight the impact of charged amino acids in targeting. Their presence or absence alone can determine localization, and comparisons across diverse eukaryotes, and their different types of mitochondria and plastids, uncover unexplored avenues of protein import research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sriram G Garg
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sven B Gould
- Institute for Molecular Evolution, University of Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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14
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Kunze M, Berger J. The similarity between N-terminal targeting signals for protein import into different organelles and its evolutionary relevance. Front Physiol 2015; 6:259. [PMID: 26441678 PMCID: PMC4585086 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2015.00259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The proper distribution of proteins between the cytosol and various membrane-bound compartments is crucial for the functionality of eukaryotic cells. This requires the cooperation between protein transport machineries that translocate diverse proteins from the cytosol into these compartments and targeting signal(s) encoded within the primary sequence of these proteins that define their cellular destination. The mechanisms exerting protein translocation differ remarkably between the compartments, but the predominant targeting signals for mitochondria, chloroplasts and the ER share the N-terminal position, an α-helical structural element and the removal from the core protein by intraorganellar cleavage. Interestingly, similar properties have been described for the peroxisomal targeting signal type 2 mediating the import of a fraction of soluble peroxisomal proteins, whereas other peroxisomal matrix proteins encode the type 1 targeting signal residing at the extreme C-terminus. The structural similarity of N-terminal targeting signals poses a challenge to the specificity of protein transport, but allows the generation of ambiguous targeting signals that mediate dual targeting of proteins into different compartments. Dual targeting might represent an advantage for adaptation processes that involve a redistribution of proteins, because it circumvents the hierarchy of targeting signals. Thus, the co-existence of two equally functional import pathways into peroxisomes might reflect a balance between evolutionary constant and flexible transport routes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Kunze
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Johannes Berger
- Department of Pathobiology of the Nervous System, Center for Brain Research, Medical University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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15
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Ye W, Spånning E, Glaser E, Mäler L. Interaction of the dual targeting peptide of Thr-tRNA synthetase with the chloroplastic receptor Toc34 in Arabidopsis thaliana. FEBS Open Bio 2015; 5:405-12. [PMID: 26101739 PMCID: PMC4430637 DOI: 10.1016/j.fob.2015.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanism of dual targeting of proteins to mitochondria and chloroplasts is poorly understood. The interaction between a dually targeted peptide and the chloroplastic receptor Toc34 was examined. The interaction between AtThrRS-dTP(2–60) and AtToc34 involves residues throughout the entire targeting peptide sequence. The interaction of AtThrRS-dTP(2–60) with AtToc34 is different to the interaction with AtTom20.
Organellar proteins synthesized in the cytosol are usually selective for only one destination in a cell but some proteins are localized in more than one compartment, for example in both mitochondria and chloroplasts. The mechanism of dual targeting of proteins to mitochondria and chloroplasts is yet poorly understood. Previously, we observed that the dual targeting peptide of threonyl-tRNA synthetase in Arabidopsis thaliana (AtThrRS-dTP) interacts with the mitochondrial receptor AtTom20 mainly through its N-terminal part. Here we report on the interaction of AtThrRS-dTP with the chloroplastic receptor AtToc34, presenting for the first time the mode of interactions of a dual targeting peptide with both Tom20 and Toc34. By NMR spectroscopy we investigated changes in 15N HSQC spectra of AtThrRS-dTP as a function of AtToc34 concentration. Line broadening shows that the interaction with AtToc34 involves residues along the entire sequence, which is not the case for AtTom20. The N-terminal φχχφφ motif, which plays an important role in AtTom20 recognition, shows no specificity for AtToc34. These results are supported by import competition studies into both mitochondria and chloroplasts, in which the effect of peptides corresponding to different segments of AtThrRS-dTP on in vitro import of organelle specific proteins was examined. This demonstrates that the N-terminal A2-Y29 segment of AtThrRS-dTP is essential for import into both organelles, while the C-terminal L30-P60 part is important for chloroplastic import efficiency. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that the recognition of the dual targeting peptide of AtThr-tRNA synthetase is different for the mitochondrial and chloroplastic receptors.
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Key Words
- Chloroplasts and mitochondria
- Dual targeting
- HSQC, heteronuclear single-quantum coherence
- NMR
- Protein import
- TIC, translocase of the inner envelope membrane of chloroplasts
- TIM, translocase of the inner mitochondrial membrane
- TOC, translocase of the outer envelope membrane of chloroplasts
- TOM, translocase of the outer mitochondrial membrane
- ThrRS, threonyl tRNA synthetase
- Toc34 receptor
- aaRS, amino acyl-tRNA synthetase
- cTP, chloroplastic targeting peptide
- dTP, dual targeting peptide
- mTP, mitochondrial targeting peptide
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Ye
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erika Spånning
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Elzbieta Glaser
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lena Mäler
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratory, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
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16
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Paila YD, Richardson LGL, Schnell DJ. New insights into the mechanism of chloroplast protein import and its integration with protein quality control, organelle biogenesis and development. J Mol Biol 2014; 427:1038-1060. [PMID: 25174336 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2014.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 08/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The translocons at the outer (TOC) and the inner (TIC) envelope membranes of chloroplasts mediate the targeting and import of several thousand nucleus-encoded preproteins that are required for organelle biogenesis and homeostasis. The cytosolic events in preprotein targeting remain largely unknown, although cytoplasmic chaperones have been proposed to facilitate delivery to the TOC complex. Preprotein recognition is mediated by the TOC GTPase receptors Toc159 and Toc34. The receptors constitute a GTP-regulated switch, which initiates membrane translocation via Toc75, a member of the Omp85 (outer membrane protein 85)/TpsB (two-partner secretion system B) family of bacterial, plastid and mitochondrial β-barrel outer membrane proteins. The TOC receptor systems have diversified to recognize distinct sets of preproteins, thereby maximizing the efficiency of targeting in response to changes in gene expression during developmental and physiological events that impact organelle function. The TOC complex interacts with the TIC translocon to allow simultaneous translocation of preproteins across the envelope. Both the two inner membrane complexes, the Tic110 and 1 MDa complexes, have been implicated as constituents of the TIC translocon, and it remains to be determined how they interact to form the TIC channel and assemble the import-associated chaperone network in the stroma that drives import across the envelope membranes. This review will focus on recent developments in our understanding of the mechanisms and diversity of the TOC-TIC systems. Our goal is to incorporate these recent studies with previous work and present updated or revised models for the function of TOC-TIC in protein import.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yamuna D Paila
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Life Sciences Laboratories Room N431, 240 Thatcher Rd, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003-9364, USA
| | - Lynn G L Richardson
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Life Sciences Laboratories Room N431, 240 Thatcher Rd, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003-9364, USA
| | - Danny J Schnell
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Life Sciences Laboratories Room N431, 240 Thatcher Rd, University of Massachusetts, Amherst MA 01003-9364, USA
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17
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Kim DH, Hwang I. Direct targeting of proteins from the cytosol to organelles: the ER versus endosymbiotic organelles. Traffic 2013; 14:613-21. [PMID: 23331847 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Revised: 01/08/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In eukaryotic cells consisting of many different types of organelles, targeting of organellar proteins is one of the most fundamental cellular processes. Proteins belonging to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), chloroplasts and mitochondria are targeted individually from the cytosol to their cognate organelles. As the targeting to these organelles occurs in the cytosol during or after translation, the most crucial aspect is how specific targeting to these three organelles can be achieved without interfering with other targeting pathways. For these organelles, multiple mechanisms are used for targeting proteins, but the exact mechanism used depends on the type of protein and organelle, the location of targeting signals in the protein and the location of the protein in the organelle. In this review, we discuss the various mechanisms involved in protein targeting to the ER, chloroplasts and mitochondria, and how the targeting specificity is determined for these organelles in plant cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dae Heon Kim
- Divisions of Molecular and Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, South Korea
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18
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Flores-Pérez Ú, Jarvis P. Molecular chaperone involvement in chloroplast protein import. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2012; 1833:332-40. [PMID: 22521451 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2012.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2012] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are organelles of endosymbiotic origin that perform essential functions in plants. They contain about 3000 different proteins, the vast majority of which are nucleus-encoded, synthesized in precursor form in the cytosol, and transported into the chloroplasts post-translationally. These preproteins are generally imported via envelope complexes termed TOC and TIC (Translocon at the Outer/Inner envelope membrane of Chloroplasts). They must navigate different cellular and organellar compartments (e.g., the cytosol, the outer and inner envelope membranes, the intermembrane space, and the stroma) before arriving at their final destination. It is generally considered that preproteins are imported in a largely unfolded state, and the whole process is energy-dependent. Several chaperones and cochaperones have been found to mediate different stages of chloroplast import, in similar fashion to chaperone involvement in mitochondrial import. Cytosolic factors such as Hsp90, Hsp70 and 14-3-3 may assist preproteins to reach the TOC complex at the chloroplast surface, preventing their aggregation or degradation. Chaperone involvement in the intermembrane space has also been proposed, but remains uncertain. Preprotein translocation is completed at the trans side of the inner membrane by ATP-driven motor complexes. A stromal Hsp100-type chaperone, Hsp93, cooperates with Tic110 and Tic40 in one such motor complex, while stromal Hsp70 is proposed to act in a second, parallel complex. Upon arrival in the stroma, chaperones (e.g., Hsp70, Cpn60, cpSRP43) also contribute to the folding, assembly or onward intraorganellar guidance of the proteins. In this review, we focus on chaperone involvement during preprotein translocation at the chloroplast envelope. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein Import and Quality Control in Mitochondria and Plastids.
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Cytosolic events involved in chloroplast protein targeting. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-MOLECULAR CELL RESEARCH 2012; 1833:245-52. [PMID: 22450030 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2012.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2012] [Revised: 02/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are unique organelles that are responsible for photosynthesis. Although chloroplasts contain their own genome, the majority of chloroplast proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome. These proteins are transported to the chloroplasts after translation in the cytosol. Chloroplasts contain three membrane systems (outer/inner envelope and thylakoid membranes) that subdivide the interior into three soluble compartments known as the intermembrane space, stroma, and thylakoid lumen. Several targeting mechanisms are required to deliver proteins to the correct chloroplast membrane or soluble compartment. These mechanisms have been extensively studied using purified chloroplasts in vitro. Prior to targeting these proteins to the various compartments of the chloroplast, they must be correctly sorted in the cytosol. To date, it is not clear how these proteins are sorted in the cytosol and then targeted to the chloroplasts. Recently, the cytosolic carrier protein AKR2 and its associated cofactor Hsp17.8 for outer envelope membrane proteins of chloroplasts were identified. Additionally, a mechanism for controlling unimported plastid precursors in the cytosol has been discovered. This review will mainly focus on recent findings concerning the possible cytosolic events that occur prior to protein targeting to the chloroplasts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Protein Import and Quality Control in Mitochondria and Plastids.
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20
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Kriechbaumer V, von Löffelholz O, Abell BM. Chaperone receptors: guiding proteins to intracellular compartments. PROTOPLASMA 2012; 249:21-30. [PMID: 21461941 DOI: 10.1007/s00709-011-0270-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2011] [Accepted: 03/02/2011] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Despite mitochondria and chloroplasts having their own genome, 99% of mitochondrial proteins (Rehling et al., Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 5:519-530, 2004) and more than 95% of chloroplast proteins (Soll, Curr Opin Plant Biol 5:529-535, 2002) are encoded by nuclear DNA, synthesised in the cytosol and imported post-translationally. Protein targeting to these organelles depends on cytosolic targeting factors, which bind to the precursor, and then interact with membrane receptors to deliver the precursor into a translocase. The molecular chaperones Hsp70 and Hsp90 have been widely implicated in protein targeting to mitochondria and chloroplasts, and receptors capable of recognising these chaperones have been identified at the surface of both these organelles (Schlegel et al., Mol Biol Evol 24:2763-2774, 2007). The role of these chaperone receptors is not fully understood, but they have been shown to increase the efficiency of protein targeting (Young et al., Cell 112:41-50, 2003; Qbadou et al., EMBO J 25:1836-1847, 2006). Whether these receptors contribute to the specificity of targeting is less clear. A class of chaperone receptors bearing tetratricopeptide repeat domains is able to specifically bind the highly conserved C terminus of Hsp70 and/or Hsp90. Interestingly, at least of one these chaperone receptors can be found on each organelle (Schlegel et al., Mol Biol Evol 24:2763-2774, 2007), which suggests a universal role in protein targeting for these chaperone receptors. This review will investigate the role that chaperone receptors play in targeting efficiency and specificity, as well as examining recent in silico approaches to find novel chaperone receptors.
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21
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Lamberti G, Gügel IL, Meurer J, Soll J, Schwenkert S. The cytosolic kinases STY8, STY17, and STY46 are involved in chloroplast differentiation in Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 157:70-85. [PMID: 21799034 PMCID: PMC3165899 DOI: 10.1104/pp.111.182774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), transit peptides for chloroplast-destined preproteins can be phosphorylated by the protein kinases STY8, STY17, and STY46. In this study, we have investigated the in vitro properties of these plant-specific kinases. Characterization of the mechanistic functioning of STY8 led to the identification of an essential threonine in the activation segment, which is phosphorylated by an intramolecular mechanism. STY8 is inhibited by specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors, although it lacked the ability to phosphorylate tyrosine residues in vitro. In vivo analysis of sty8, sty17, and sty46 Arabidopsis knockout/knockdown mutants revealed a distinct function of the three kinases in the greening process and in the efficient differentiation of chloroplasts. Mutant plants displayed not only a delayed accumulation of chlorophyll but also a reduction of nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins and a retarded establishment of photosynthetic capacity during the first 6 h of deetiolation, supporting a role of cytosolic STY kinases in chloroplast differentiation.
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22
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Schwenkert S, Soll J, Bölter B. Protein import into chloroplasts--how chaperones feature into the game. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOMEMBRANES 2010; 1808:901-11. [PMID: 20682282 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2010.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2010] [Revised: 07/20/2010] [Accepted: 07/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Chloroplasts originated from an endosymbiotic event, in which an ancestral photosynthetic cyanobacterium was engulfed by a mitochondriate eukaryotic host cell. During evolution, the endosymbiont lost its autonomy by means of a massive transfer of genetic information from the prokaryotic genome to the host nucleus. Consequently, the development of protein import machineries became necessary for the relocation of proteins that are now nuclear-encoded and synthesized in the cytosol but destined for the chloroplast. Organelle biogenesis and maintenance requires a tight coordination of transcription, translation and protein import between the host cell and the organelle. This review focuses on the translocation complexes in the outer and inner envelope membrane with a special emphasis on the role of molecular chaperones. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Protein translocation across or insertion into membranes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Schwenkert
- Department Biologie I-Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhadernerstr 2-4, D-82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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23
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Andrès C, Agne B, Kessler F. The TOC complex: preprotein gateway to the chloroplast. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA 2010; 1803:715-23. [PMID: 20226817 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamcr.2010.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2009] [Revised: 02/26/2010] [Accepted: 03/03/2010] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic eukaryotes strongly depend on chloroplast metabolic pathways. Most if not all involve nuclear encoded proteins. These are synthesized as cytosolic preproteins with N-terminal, cleavable targeting sequences (transit peptide). Preproteins are imported by a major pathway composed of two proteins complexes: TOC and TIC (Translocon of the Outer and Inner membranes of the Chloroplasts, respectively). These selectively recognize the preproteins and facilitate their transport across the chloroplast envelope. The TOC core complex consists of three types of components, each belonging to a small family: Toc34, Toc75 and Toc159. Toc34 and Toc159 isoforms represent a subfamily of the GTPase superfamily. The members of the Toc34 and Toc159 subfamily act as GTP-dependent receptors at the chloroplast surface and distinct members of each occur in defined, substrate-specific TOC complexes. Toc75, a member of the Omp85 family, is conserved from prokaryotes and functions as the unique protein-conducting channel at the outer membrane. In this review we will describe the current state of knowledge regarding the composition and function of the TOC complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Andrès
- Institut de Biologie, Université de Neuchâtel, CH-2009 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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24
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Abstract
Most proteins in chloroplasts are encoded by the nuclear genome and synthesized as precursors with N-terminal targeting signals called transit peptides. Novel machinery has evolved to specifically import these proteins from the cytosol into chloroplasts. This machinery consists of more than a dozen components located in and around the chloroplast envelope, including a pair of GTPase receptors, a beta-barrel-type channel across the outer membrane, and an AAA(+)-type motor in the stroma. How individual components assemble into functional subcomplexes and the sequential steps of the translocation process are being mapped out. An increasing number of noncanonical import pathways, including a pathway with initial transport through the endomembrane system, is being revealed. Multiple levels of control on protein transport into chloroplasts have evolved, including the development of two receptor subfamilies, one for photosynthetic proteins and one for housekeeping proteins. The functions or expression levels of some translocon components are further adjusted according to plastid type, developmental stage, and metabolic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hsou-min Li
- Institute of Molecular Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
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25
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Berglund AK, Pujol C, Duchene AM, Glaser E. Defining the determinants for dual targeting of amino acyl-tRNA synthetases to mitochondria and chloroplasts. J Mol Biol 2009; 393:803-14. [PMID: 19733576 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2009.08.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2009] [Revised: 08/20/2009] [Accepted: 08/27/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Most of the organellar amino acyl-tRNA synthetases (aaRSs) are dually targeted to both mitochondria and chloroplasts using dual targeting peptides (dTPs). We have investigated the targeting properties and domain structure of dTPs of seven aaRSs by studying the in vitro and in vivo import of N-terminal deleted constructs of dTPs fused to green fluorescent protein. The deletion constructs were designed based on prediction programs, TargetP and Predotar, as well as LogoPlots derived from organellar proteomes in Arabidopsis thaliana. In vitro import was performed either into a single isolated organelle or as dual import (i.e., into a mixture of isolated mitochondria and chloroplasts followed by reisolation of the organelles). In vivo import was investigated as transient expression of the green fluorescent protein constructs in Nicotiana benthamiana protoplasts. Characterization of recognition determinants showed that the N-terminal portions of TyrRS-, ValRS- and ThrRS-dTPs (27, 22 and 23 amino acids, respectively) are required for targeting into both mitochondria and chloroplasts. Surprisingly, these N-terminal portions contain no or very few arginines (or lysines) but very high number of hydroxylated residues (26-51%). For two aaRSs, a domain structure of the dTP became evident. Removal of 20 residues from the dTP of ProRS abolished chloroplastic import, indicating that the N-terminal region was required for chloroplast targeting, whereas deletion of 16 N-terminal amino acids from AspRS-dTP inhibited the mitochondrial import, showing that in this case, the N-terminal portion was required for the mitochondrial import. Finally, deletion of N-terminal regions of dTPs for IleRS and LysRS did not affect dual targeting. In summary, it can be concluded that there is no general rule for how the determinants for dual targeting are distributed within dTPs; in most cases, the N-terminal portion is essential for import into both organelles, but in a few cases, a domain structure was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna-Karin Berglund
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Arrhenius Laboratories for Natural Science, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
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26
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Lee DW, Lee S, Oh YJ, Hwang I. Multiple sequence motifs in the rubisco small subunit transit peptide independently contribute to Toc159-dependent import of proteins into chloroplasts. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2009; 151:129-41. [PMID: 19571307 PMCID: PMC2735978 DOI: 10.1104/pp.109.140673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2009] [Accepted: 06/25/2009] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
A large number of plastid proteins encoded by the nuclear genome are posttranslationally imported into plastids by at least two distinct mechanisms: the Toc159-dependent and Toc132/Toc120-dependent pathways. Light-induced photosynthetic proteins are imported through the Toc159-dependent pathway, whereas constitutive housekeeping plastid proteins are imported into plastids through the Toc132/Toc120 pathway. However, it remains unknown which features of the plastid protein transit peptide (TP) determine the import pathway. We have discovered sequence elements of the Rubisco small subunit TP (RbcS-tp) that play a role in determining import through the Toc159-dependent pathway in vivo. We generated multiple hybrid mutants using the RbcS-tp and the E1alpha-subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase TP (E1alpha-tp) as representative peptides mediating import through the Toc159-dependent and Toc159-independent pathways, respectively. Import experiments using these hybrid mutants in wild-type and ppi2 mutant protoplasts revealed that multiple sequence motifs in the RbcS-tp independently contribute to Toc159-dependent protein import into chloroplasts. One of these motifs is the group of serine residues located in the N-terminal 12-amino acid segment and the other is the C-terminal T5 region of the RbcS-tp ranging from amino acid positions 41 to 49. Based on these findings, we propose that multiple sequence elements in the RbcS-tp contribute independently to Toc159-dependent import of proteins into chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wook Lee
- Division of Molecular and Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
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Kessler F, Schnell D. Chloroplast biogenesis: diversity and regulation of the protein import apparatus. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2009; 21:494-500. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2009.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2009] [Revised: 03/24/2009] [Accepted: 03/26/2009] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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Carrie C, Giraud E, Whelan J. Protein transport in organelles: Dual targeting of proteins to mitochondria and chloroplasts. FEBS J 2009; 276:1187-95. [PMID: 19187233 DOI: 10.1111/j.1742-4658.2009.06876.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 107] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
As many as fifty proteins have now been experimentally demonstrated to be targeted to both mitochondria and plastids, a phenomenon referred to as dual targeting. Although the first reported case of dual targeting of a protein was reported in 1995, there is still little understanding of the mechanism of dual targeting and any similarities or differences with respect to the targeting of location-specific proteins. This minireview summarizes dual targeting in terms of signals, passenger proteins, receptors, regulation, why proteins may need to be dual targeted and the future challenges that remain in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Carrie
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, M316, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
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29
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Aronsson H, Jarvis P. The Chloroplast Protein Import Apparatus, Its Components, and Their Roles. PLANT CELL MONOGRAPHS 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-68696-5_3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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30
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Abstract
Plastids are a diverse group of essential organelles in plants that include chloroplasts. The biogenesis and maintenance of these organelles relies on the import of thousands of nucleus-encoded proteins. The complexity of plastid structure has resulted in the evolution of at least four general import pathways that target proteins into and across the double membrane of the plastid envelope. Several of these pathways can be further divided into specialty pathways that mediate and regulate the import of specific classes of proteins. The co-ordination of import by these specialized pathways with changes in gene expression is critical for plastid and plant development. Moreover, protein import is acutely regulated in response to physiological and metabolic changes within the cell. In the present review we summarize the current knowledge of the mechanism of import via these pathways and highlight the regulatory mechanisms that integrate the plastid protein-trafficking pathways with the developmental and metabolic state of the plant.
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Abstract
Most chloroplast proteins are encoded in the nucleus and synthesized on free, cytosolic ribosomes in precursor form. Each precursor has an amino-terminal extension called a transit peptide, which directs the protein through a post-translational targeting pathway and is removed upon arrival inside the organelle. This 'protein import' process is mediated by the coordinate action of two multiprotein complexes, one in each of the envelope membranes: the TOC and TIC (Translocon at the Outer/ Inner envelope membrane of Chloroplasts) machines. Many components of these complexes have been identified biochemically in pea; these include transit peptide receptors, channel proteins, and molecular chaperones. Intriguingly, the Arabidopsis genome encodes multiple, homologous genes for receptor components of the TOC complex. Careful analysis indicated that the different receptor isoforms operate in different import pathways with distinct precursor recognition specificities. These 'substrate-specific' import pathways might play a role in the differentiation of different plastid types, and/or act to prevent deleterious competition effects between abundant and nonabundant precursors. Until recently, all proteins destined for internal chloroplast compartments were thought to possess a cleavable transit peptide, and to engage the TOC/TIC machinery. New studies using proteomics and other approaches have revealed that this is far from true. Remarkably, a significant number of chloroplast proteins are transported via a pathway that involves the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Other recent reports have elucidated an intriguing array of protein targeting routes leading to the envelope membranes themselves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jarvis
- Department of Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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32
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The Chloroplast Protein Import Apparatus, Its Components, and Their Roles. PLANT CELL MONOGRAPHS 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/7089_2008_40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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33
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Oreb M, Tews I, Schleiff E. Policing Tic 'n' Toc, the doorway to chloroplasts. Trends Cell Biol 2008; 18:19-27. [PMID: 18068366 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcb.2007.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2007] [Revised: 10/08/2007] [Accepted: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The organization of eukaryotic cells into different membrane-enclosed compartments requires an ordered and regulated system for targeting and translocating proteins synthesized in the cytosol across organellar membranes. Protein translocation through integral membrane proteinaceous complexes shares common principles in different organelles, whereas molecular mechanisms and energy requirements are diverse. Translocation into mitochondria and plastids requires most proteins to cross two membranes, and translocation must be regulated to accommodate environmental or metabolic changes. In the last decade, the first ideas were formulated about the regulation of protein translocation into chloroplasts, thereby laying the foundation for this field. Here, we describe recent models for the regulation of translocation by precursor protein phosphorylation, receptor dimerization, redox sensing and calcium signaling. We suggest how these mechanisms might fit within the regulatory framework for the entry of proteins into chloroplasts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mislav Oreb
- LMU München, Cluster of Excellence CIPS, Department of Biology I, Menziger Str. 67, 80638 München, Germany
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34
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Schemenewitz A, Pollmann S, Reinbothe C, Reinbothe S. A substrate-independent, 14:3:3 protein-mediated plastid import pathway of NADPH:protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase A. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:8538-43. [PMID: 17483469 PMCID: PMC1895985 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0702058104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Plastids are semiautonomous organelles that contain only limited coding information in their own DNA. Because most of their genome was transferred to the nucleus after their endosymbiotic origin, plastids must import the major part of their protein constituents from the cytosol. The exact role of cytosolic targeting factors in the regulation of plastid protein import has not been determined. Here, we report that the nucleus-encoded NADPH:protochlorophyllide (Pchlide) oxidoreductase A plastid precursor (pPORA) can use two different plastid import pathways that differ by the requirements for cytosolic 14:3:3 proteins and Hsp70. pPORA synthesized in a wheat germ lysate segregated into different precursor fractions. While import of free pPORA and only Hsp70-complexed pPORA was Pchlide-dependent and involved the previously identified Pchlide-dependent translocon, 14:3:3 protein- and Hsp70-complexed pPORA was transported into Pchlide-free chloroplasts through the Toc75-containing standard translocon at the outer chloroplast membrane/translocon at the inner chloroplast membrane machinery. A 14:3:3 protein binding site was identified in the mature region of the (35)S-pPORA, which governed 14:3:3 protein- and Hsp70-mediated, Pchlide-independent plastid import. Collectively, our results reveal that the import of pPORA into the plastids is tightly regulated and involves different cytosolic targeting factors and plastid envelope translocon complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schemenewitz
- Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, Gebäude ND, D-44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Stephan Pollmann
- Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstrasse 150, Gebäude ND, D-44801 Bochum, Germany
| | - Christiane Reinbothe
- Lehrstuhl für Pflanzenphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, Universitätsstrasse 30, D-95447 Bayreuth, Germany; and
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5575, Université Joseph Fourier et Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, BP53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
| | - Steffen Reinbothe
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 5575, Université Joseph Fourier et Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, BP53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 9, France
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35
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Qbadou S, Becker T, Bionda T, Reger K, Ruprecht M, Soll J, Schleiff E. Toc64 - A Preprotein-receptor at the Outer Membrane with Bipartide Function. J Mol Biol 2007; 367:1330-46. [PMID: 17306301 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2007.01.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2006] [Revised: 01/15/2007] [Accepted: 01/17/2007] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Protein translocation across membranes is assisted by translocation machineries present in the membrane targeted by the precursor proteins. Translocon subunits can be functionally divided into receptor proteins warranting the specificity of this machine and a translocation channel. At the outer envelope of chloroplasts two sets of receptor proteins regulate protein translocation facing the cytosol or acting in the intermembrane space. One, Toc64 is a receptor of the translocon at the outer envelope of chloroplasts (Toc complex) with dual function. Toc64 recognizes Hsp90 delivered precursor proteins via a cytosolic exposed domain containing three tetratrico-peptide repeat motifs and as demonstrated in here, Toc64 functions also as a major component of a complex facing the intermembrane space. The latter complex is composed of an Hsp70 localized in the intermembrane space, its interaction partner Toc12, a J-domain containing protein and the intermembrane space protein Tic22. We analyzed the intermembrane space domain of Toc64. This domain is involved in preprotein recognition and association with the Toc-complex independent of the cytosolic domain of the Toc64 receptor. Therefore, Toc64 is involved in preprotein translocation across the outer envelope at both sites of the membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Qbadou
- Botanik, LMU München, Menzinger Str. 67, 80638 München, Germany
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36
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Tonkin CJ, Roos DS, McFadden GI. N-terminal positively charged amino acids, but not their exact position, are important for apicoplast transit peptide fidelity in Toxoplasma gondii. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2006; 150:192-200. [PMID: 16963133 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2006.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2005] [Revised: 08/02/2006] [Accepted: 08/03/2006] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The non-photosynthetic plastid - or apicoplast - of Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan parasites is an essential organelle and promising drug target. Most apicoplast proteins are encoded in the nucleus and targeted into the organelle through the apicoplast's four membranes courtesy of a bipartite N-terminal leader sequence comprising of an endomembrane signal peptide followed by a plastid transit peptide. Apicoplast transit peptides, like plant plastid transit peptides, have no primary consensus, are variable in length and may be distinguishable only by a relative depletion of negative charged residues and consequent enrichment in basic residues. In this study we examine the role of charged residues within an apicoplast transit peptide in T. gondii by point mutagenesis. We demonstrate that positive charged residues, combined with the absence of negatively charged amino acids, are essential for apicoplast transit peptide fidelity, as also observed in P. falciparum. Furthermore, we show that positive charge is more important at the transit peptide's N-terminus than its C-terminus, and that the nature of the positive residue and the exact position of the N-terminal positive charge are not important. These results suggest that a simple, rule-based prediction for T. gondii transit peptides, similar to that successfully implemented for P. falciparum should help to identify apicoplast proteins and facilitate the identification of drug targets in this important human pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Tonkin
- Plant Cell Biology Research Centre, The School of Botany, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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37
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Kessler F, Schnell DJ. The function and diversity of plastid protein import pathways: a multilane GTPase highway into plastids. Traffic 2006; 7:248-57. [PMID: 16497220 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0854.2005.00382.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The photosynthetic chloroplast is the hallmark organelle of green plants. During the endosymbiotic evolution of chloroplasts, the vast majority of genes from the original cyanobacterial endosymbiont were transferred to the host cell nucleus. Chloroplast biogenesis therefore requires the import of nucleus-encoded proteins from their site of synthesis in the cytosol. The majority of proteins are imported by the activity of Toc and Tic complexes located within the chloroplast envelope. In addition to chloroplasts, plants have evolved additional, non-photosynthetic plastid types that are essential components of all cells. Recent studies indicate that the biogenesis of various plastid types relies on distinct but homologous Toc-Tic import pathways that have specialized in the import of specific classes of substrates. These different import pathways appear to be necessary to balance the essential physiological role of plastids in cellular metabolism with the demands of cellular differentiation and plant development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Kessler
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, Institut de Botanique, Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2007 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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38
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Smith MD. Protein import into chloroplasts: an ever-evolving storyThis review is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Plant Cell Biology. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1139/b06-050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Chloroplasts are but one type of a diverse group of essential organelles that distinguish plant cells and house many critical biochemical pathways, including photosynthesis. The biogenesis of plastids is essential to plant growth and development and relies on the targeting and import of thousands of nuclear-encoded proteins from the cytoplasm. The import of the vast majority of these proteins is dependent on translocons located in the outer and inner envelope membranes of the chloroplast, termed the Toc and Tic complexes, respectively. The core components of the Toc and Tic complexes have been identified within the last 12 years; however, the precise functions of many components are still being elucidated, and new components are still being identified. In Arabidopsis thaliana (and other species), many of the components are encoded by more than one gene, and it appears that the isoforms differentially associate with structurally distinct import complexes. Furthermore, it appears that these complexes represent functionally distinct targeting pathways, and the regulation of import by these separate pathways may play a role in the differentiation and specific functions of distinct plastid types during plant growth and development. This review summarizes these recent discoveries and emphasizes the mechanisms of differential Toc complex assembly and substrate recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D. Smith
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada (e-mail: )
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39
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Gutensohn M, Fan E, Frielingsdorf S, Hanner P, Hou B, Hust B, Klösgen RB. Toc, Tic, Tat et al.: structure and function of protein transport machineries in chloroplasts. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2006; 163:333-47. [PMID: 16386331 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2005.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2005] [Accepted: 11/13/2005] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The chloroplast is an organelle of prokaryotic origin that is situated in an eukaryotic cellular environment. As a result of this formerly endosymbiotic situation, the chloroplast houses a unique set of protein transport machineries. Among those are evolutionarily young transport pathways which are responsible for the import of the nuclear-encoded proteins into the organelle as well as ancient pathways operating in the 'export' of proteins from the stroma (the former cyanobacterial cytosol) across the thylakoid membrane into the thylakoid lumen. In this review, we have tried to address the main features of these various transport pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Gutensohn
- Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
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40
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Lee DW, Lee S, Lee GJ, Lee KH, Kim S, Cheong GW, Hwang I. Functional characterization of sequence motifs in the transit peptide of Arabidopsis small subunit of rubisco. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2006; 140:466-83. [PMID: 16384899 PMCID: PMC1361317 DOI: 10.1104/pp.105.074575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The transit peptides of nuclear-encoded chloroplast proteins are necessary and sufficient for targeting and import of proteins into chloroplasts. However, the sequence information encoded by transit peptides is not fully understood. In this study, we investigated sequence motifs in the transit peptide of the small subunit of the Rubisco complex by examining the ability of various mutant transit peptides to target green fluorescent protein reporter proteins to chloroplasts in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) leaf protoplasts. We divided the transit peptide into eight blocks (T1 through T8), each consisting of eight or 10 amino acids, and generated mutants that had alanine (Ala) substitutions or deletions, of one or two T blocks in the transit peptide. In addition, we generated mutants that had the original sequence partially restored in single- or double-T-block Ala (A) substitution mutants. Analysis of chloroplast import of these mutants revealed several interesting observations. Single-T-block mutations did not noticeably affect targeting efficiency, except in T1 and T4 mutations. However, double-T mutants, T2A/T4A, T3A/T6A, T3A/T7A, T4A/T6A, and T4A/T7A, caused a 50% to 100% loss in targeting ability. T3A/T6A and T4A/T6A mutants produced only precursor proteins, whereas T2A/T4A and T4A/T7A mutants produced only a 37-kD protein. Detailed analyses revealed that sequence motifs ML in T1, LKSSA in T3, FP and RK in T4, CMQVW in T6, and KKFET in T7 play important roles in chloroplast targeting. In T1, the hydrophobicity of ML is important for targeting. LKSSA in T3 is functionally equivalent to CMQVW in T6 and KKFET in T7. Furthermore, subcellular fractionation revealed that Ala substitution in T1, T3, and T6 produced soluble precursors, whereas Ala substitution in T4 and T7 produced intermediates that were tightly associated with membranes. These results demonstrate that the transit peptide contains multiple motifs and that some of them act in concert or synergistically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong Wook Lee
- Division of Molecular and Life Sciences, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 790-784, Korea
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41
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Bédard J, Jarvis P. Recognition and envelope translocation of chloroplast preproteins. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2005; 56:2287-320. [PMID: 16087701 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eri243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Plastids are a diverse group of plant organelles that perform essential functions including important steps in many biosynthetic pathways. Chloroplasts are the best characterized type of plastid, and constitute the site of oxygenic photosynthesis in plants, a process essential to all higher life forms. It is well established that the majority (>90%) of chloroplast proteins are nucleus-encoded and must be post-translationally imported into these envelope-bound compartments. Most nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins are translated in precursor form on cytosolic ribosomes, targeted to the chloroplast surface, and then imported across the double-membrane envelope by translocons in the outer and inner envelope membranes of the chloroplast, termed TOC and TIC, respectively. Recently, significant progress has been made in our understanding of how proteins are targeted to the chloroplast surface and translocated across the chloroplast envelope into the stroma. Evidence suggesting the existence of multiple import pathways at the outer envelope membrane for different classes of precursor proteins has been presented. These pathways appear to utilize similar TOC complexes equipped with different combinations of homologous GTPase receptors, providing preprotein recognition specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn Bédard
- Department of Biology, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
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42
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Abstract
The vast majority of the approximately 3000 different proteins required to build a fully functional chloroplast are encoded by the nuclear genome and translated on cytosolic ribosomes. As chloroplasts are each surrounded by a double-membrane system, or envelope, sophisticated mechanisms are necessary to mediate the import of these nucleus-encoded proteins into chloroplasts. Once inside the organelle, many chloroplast proteins engage one of four additional protein sorting mechanisms that direct targeting to the internal thylakoid membrane system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Jarvis
- Department of Biology, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK.
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43
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Becker T, Qbadou S, Jelic M, Schleiff E. Let's talk about...chloroplast import. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2005; 7:1-14. [PMID: 15666210 DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-830447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T Becker
- Botanisches Institut, Ludwig-Maximilian-Universität München, Menzinger Strasse 67, 80368 München, Germany
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44
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Gutensohn M, Pahnke S, Kolukisaoglu U, Schulz B, Schierhorn A, Voigt A, Hust B, Rollwitz I, Stöckel J, Geimer S, Albrecht V, Flügge UI, Klösgen RB. Characterization of a T-DNA insertion mutant for the protein import receptor atToc33 from chloroplasts. Mol Genet Genomics 2004; 272:379-96. [PMID: 15517392 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-004-1068-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2004] [Accepted: 09/11/2004] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In Arabidopsis thaliana, the Toc34 receptor component of the chloroplast import machinery is encoded by two independent but highly homologous genes, atToc33 and atToc34. We have isolated a T-DNA insertion mutant of atToc33 which is characterized by a pale phenotype, due to reductions in the levels of photosynthetic pigments, and alterations in protein composition. The latter involve not only chloroplast proteins but also some cytosolic polypeptides, including 14-3-3 proteins which, among other functions, have been proposed to be cytosolic targeting factors for nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins. Within the chloroplast, many, though not all, proteins of the photosynthetic apparatus, as well as proteins not directly involved in photosynthesis, are found in significantly reduced amounts in the mutant. However, the accumulation of other chloroplast proteins is unaffected. This suggests that the atToc33 receptor is responsible for the import of a specific subset of nucleus-encoded chloroplast proteins. Supporting evidence for this conclusion was obtained by antisense repression of the atToc34 gene in the atToc33 mutant, which results in an exacerbation of the phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Gutensohn
- Institut für Pflanzenphysiologie, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Weinbergweg 10, 06120 Halle, Germany.
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45
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Chew O, Whelan J. Just read the message: a model for sorting of proteins between mitochondria and chloroplasts. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2004; 9:318-9. [PMID: 15231275 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2004.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
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46
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Abstract
The fidelity of the numerous intracellular protein-trafficking pathways to different organelles is dictated by the interactions between the intrinsic targeting signals of substrate proteins and specific receptors that deliver the substrate to the proper organelle. Recent studies of protein targeting to chloroplasts suggest a novel mechanism in which GTP-dependent substrate recognition is coupled to a GTP-driven motor that initiates the translocation of proteins into the organelle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Kessler
- Laboratoire de Physiologie Végétale, Institute de Botanique, Université de Neuchâtel, Rue Emile-Argand 11, 2007 Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
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