The YlmG protein has a conserved function related to the distribution of nucleoids in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria 英文参考文献.docVIP

Kabeya et al. BMC Plant Biology 2010, 10:57 /1471-2229/10/57 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access The YlmG protein has a conserved function related Research article to the distribution of nucleoids in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria Yukihiro Kabeya*1, Hiromitsu Nakanishi1, Kenji Suzuki1, Takanari Ichikawa2, Youichi Kondou2, Minami Matsui2 and Shin-ya Miyagishima*1 Abstract Background: Reminiscent of their free-living cyanobacterial ancestor, chloroplasts proliferate by division coupled with the partition of nucleoids (DNA-protein complexes). Division of the chloroplast envelope membrane is performed by constriction of the ring structures at the division site. During division, nucleoids also change their shape and are distributed essentially equally to the daughter chloroplasts. Although several components of the envelope division machinery have been identified and characterized, little is known about the molecular components/mechanisms underlying the change of the nucleoid structure. Results: In order to identify new factors that are involved in the chloroplast division, we isolated Arabidopsis thaliana chloroplast division mutants from a pool of random cDNA-overexpressed lines. We found that the overexpression of a previously uncharacterized gene (AtYLMG1-1) of cyanobacterial origin results in the formation of an irregular network of chloroplast nucleoids, along with a defect in chloroplast division. In contrast, knockdown of AtYLMG1-1 resulted in a concentration of the nucleoids into a few large structures, but did not affect chloroplast division. Immunofluorescence microscopy showed that AtYLMG1-1 localizes in small puncta on thylakoid membranes, to which a subset of nucleoids colocalize. In addition, in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongates, overexpression and deletion of ylmG also displayed defects in nucleoid structure and cell division. Conclusions: These results suggest that the proper distribution of nucleoids requires the YlmG protein, and