The Nuclear Localization of the DnaJ-Like Zinc Finger Domain-Containing Protein EDA3 Affects Seed Development in Arabidopsis thaliana

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2020-10, Vol.21 (21), p.7979
• Main Authors: Kong, Meng-Juan, Huang, Na, Chen, Si-Ming, Liang, Han-Yu, Liu, Xin-Ya, Zhuang, Zhong, Lu, Shan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Amino acid sequence; Arabidopsis - genetics; Arabidopsis - growth & development; Arabidopsis - metabolism; Arabidopsis Proteins - chemistry; Arabidopsis Proteins - genetics; Arabidopsis Proteins - metabolism; Biosynthesis; Cell Nucleus - genetics; Cell Nucleus - metabolism; Chloroplasts; Chloroplasts - genetics; Chloroplasts - metabolism; Communication; Embryos; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genetic engineering; Localization; Metabolism; Mutants; Mutation; Nuclear Localization Signals; Ovules; Photosystem I; Plant Leaves - genetics; Plant Leaves - growth & development; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plastids; Protein Transport; Proteins; Seeds; Seeds - genetics; Seeds - growth & development; Seeds - metabolism; Zinc Fingers
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms21217979

The DnaJ-like zinc finger domain-containing proteins are involved in different aspects of plastid function and development. Some of these proteins were recently reported to have dual subcellular localization in the nucleus and plastids. One member of this family, PSA2 (AT2G34860), was found to localize to the thylakoid lumen and regulate the assembly of photosystem I (PSI). However, PSA2 was also annotated as Embryo sac Development Arrest 3 (EDA3) from the observation that its embryo sac development was arrested at the two-nuclear stage. In this study, we characterized the mutant, and demonstrated that, as compared with the wild-type (WT) plants, the mutant has shorter siliques, fewer siliques per plant, and fewer seeds per silique. Both aborted and undeveloped ovules were observed in siliques of the mutant. By immunoblot analysis, we found that, different from the chloroplast localization in mature leaves, EDA3 localizes in the nucleus in seeds. A nuclear localization signal was identified from the deduced amino acid sequence of EDA3, and also proved to be sufficient for directing its fusion peptide into the nucleus.