Abstract
BackgroundCarotenoid biosynthesis is essential for the generation of photosynthetic pigments, phytohormone production, and flower color development. The light harvesting like 3 (LIL3) protein, which belongs to the light-harvesting complex protein family in photosystems, interacts with geranylgeranyl reductase (GGR) and protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) both of which are known to regulate terpenoid and chlorophyll biosynthesis, respectively, in both rice and Arabidopsis.ResultsIn our study, a CRISPR-Cas9 generated 4-bp deletion mutant oslil3 showed aberrant chloroplast development, growth defects, low fertility rates and reduced pigment contents. A comparative transcriptomic analysis of oslil3 suggested that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in photosynthesis, cell wall modification, primary and secondary metabolism are differentially regulated in the mutant. Protein-protein interaction assays indicated that LIL3 interacts with phytoene synthase (PSY) and in addition the gene expression of PSY genes are regulated by LIL3. Subcellular localization of LIL3 and PSY suggested that both are thylakoid membrane anchored proteins in the chloroplast. We suggest that LIL3 directly interacts with PSY to regulate carotenoid biosynthesis.ConclusionThis study reveals a new role of LIL3 in regulating pigment biosynthesis through interaction with the rate limiting enzyme PSY in carotenoid biosynthesis in rice presenting it as a putative target for genetic manipulation of pigment biosynthesis pathways in crop plants.
Highlights
Apart from being deficient in photosynthetic pigmentsLight harvesting complex (LHC) proteins constitute due to the disruption of pigment biosynthesis enzyme major light harvesting antenna of photosynthetic coding gene, the mutant phenotype can be a result of eukaryotes
The light harvesting like 3 (LIL3) protein, which belongs to the lightharvesting complex protein family in photosystems, interacts with geranylgeranyl reductase (GGR) and protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) both of which are known to regulate terpenoid and chlorophyll
D interaction assays indicated that LIL3 interacts with phytoene synthase (PSY) and in addition the gene expression of PSY genes are regulated by LIL3
Summary
Carotenoid biosynthesis is essential for the generation of photosynthetic pigments, phytohormone. The light harvesting like 3 (LIL3) protein, which belongs to the lightharvesting complex protein family in photosystems, interacts with geranylgeranyl reductase (GGR) and protochlorophyllide oxidoreductase (POR) both of which are known to regulate terpenoid and chlorophyll. A Results: In our study, a CRISPR-Cas generated 4-bp deletion mutant oslil showed aberrant chloroplast development, growth defects, low fertility rates and reduced pigment contents. A comparative transcriptomic analysis of oslil suggested that differentially expressed genes (DEGs) involved in photosynthesis, cell wall modification, primary and secondary metabolism are differentially regulated in the mutant. Subcellular localization of LIL3 and PSY suggested that both are thylakoid membrane anchored proteins in the chloroplast. We suggest that LIL3 directly interacts with PSY to regulate
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