Abstract
Magnesium protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase (ChlM) plays an important role in the regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis and chloroplast development. In the present study, we isolated a ChlM gene, designated ClChlM, from Cymbidium [Cymbidium longibracteatum (Wu & Chen) Chen & Liu]. The open reading frame (ORF) sequence of ClChlM was 945 bp and encoded a putative protein of 314 amino acids. The deduced ClChlM contained the conserved SAM/SAH binding pocket and substrate binding sites. Subcellular localization analysis of ClChlM revealed that the protein was localized in the chloroplast. Ectopic overexpression of ClChlM in tobacco (Nicotiana benthamiana Domin) increased ALA-synthesizing capacity and chlorophyll content and widely upregulated the expression level of photosynthesis-related genes, such as ClHemA, ClGSA, ClLhcb, ClCHLI, and ClCHLH. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that ClChlM plays a crucial role in the regulation of chlorophyll biosynthesis in C. longibracteatum and will help in breeding for leaf colour variance in the future. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers
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