Reverse Genetics in Flowering Plant Plastids: 10.1007/978-94-007-2920-9

A Day, R Bock (Editor), V Knoop (Editor)

    Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

    Abstract

    Plastid reverse genetics exploits the predominance of homologous DNA recombination inthis organelle, which allows targeted mutations to be introduced into plastid genes. Most studies have used tobacco and involve replacement of wild-type plastid genes with mutant alleles. Mutant alleles are either disrupted by the marker gene or lie adjacent to the marker gene. Marker selection with antibiotics is required to remove wild-type plastid genomes and reveal the phenotype of homoplasmic mutant plants. Targeted knock-outs have shown that tobacco plastid genes are either dispensable or essential. Dispensable plastid genes include those encoding photosynthesis-related proteins, subunits of the plastid-encoded RNApolymerase, ribosomal proteins rps15, rpl33 and rpl36, valyl transfer RNA(GAC), glycyltransfer RNA(GCC) and origins of DNA replication. Loss-of-photosynthesis is dispensable if mutants are propagated on sucrose medium. Knock-outs were particularly useful for elucidating the roles of conserved but dispensable hypothetical reading frames in photosynthesis. Site-directed mutations allow structure-function studies on the products of plastid genes. Marker-free plants containing deletions of dispensableplastid genes, facilitate the rapid isolation of plants containing site-directed mutant alleles. Knock-outs of essential tobacco plastid genes (accD, clpP, ycf1, ycf2, rps2, rps3, rps4, rps16, rps18, rpl20, rpl22, rpl23, rpl32, trnC-GCA,trnN-GUU, trnG-UCC) persist as heteroplasmic mixtures with the wild-type allele under antibiotic selection. Homoplasmic cells containing knock out alleles of essential genes would not be viable and this explains the leaf-lamina-loss phenotype of mutant plants. Strong selection for the wild-type gene may hinder the isolation of partial-function alleles of essential plastid genes containing site directed mutations. Progress may require the use of angiosperm species, in which homologues of essential tobacco plastid genes are dispensable.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationGenomics of Chloroplasts and Mitochondria
    PublisherSpringer Nature
    Pages415-441
    Edition1
    ISBN (Print)978-94-007-2920-9
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jun 2012

    Publication series

    NameAdvances in Photosynthesis and Respiration
    PublisherSpringer Netherlands
    Volume35

    Keywords

    • reverse genetics, chloroplasts, plastid, targeted knockouts

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