The pgp1 mutant locus of Arabidopsis encodes a phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase with impaired activity

Plant Physiol. 2002 Jun;129(2):594-604. doi: 10.1104/pp.002725.

Abstract

Phosphatidylglycerol is a ubiquitous phospholipid that is also present in the photosynthetic membranes of plants. Multiple independent lines of evidence suggest that this lipid plays a critical role for the proper function of photosynthetic membranes and cold acclimation. In eukaryotes, different subcellular compartments are competent for the biosynthesis of phosphatidylglycerol. Details on the plant-specific pathways in different organelles are scarce. Here, we describe a phosphatidylglycerol biosynthesis-deficient mutant of Arabidopsis, pgp1. The overall content of phosphatidylglycerol is reduced by 30%. This mutant carries a point mutation in the CDP-alcohol phosphotransferase motif of the phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase (EC 2.7.8.5) isoform encoded by a gene on chromosome 2. The mutant shows an 80% reduction in plastidic phosphatidylglycerolphosphate synthase activity consistent with the plastidic location of this particular isoform. Mutant plants are pale green, and their photosynthesis is impaired. This mutant provides a promising new tool to elucidate the biosynthesis and function of plastidic phosphatidylglycerol in seed plants.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Chlorophyll / metabolism
  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA, Complementary / chemistry
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Electron Transport
  • Escherichia coli / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genetic Complementation Test
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation
  • Phosphatidylglycerols / biosynthesis*
  • Photosynthesis / genetics
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / genetics
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups) / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
  • Phosphatidylglycerols
  • Photosynthetic Reaction Center Complex Proteins
  • Chlorophyll
  • Transferases (Other Substituted Phosphate Groups)
  • CDP-diacylglycerol-glycerol-3-phosphate 3-phosphatidyltransferase

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AB048535