Chen Hao, Dong Haixiao, Shan Xiaohui, Jiang Yuan, Li Shipeng, Liu Hongkui, Su Shengzhong, Yuan Yaping
Jilin Engineering Research Center for Crop Biotechnology Breeding, College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China.
Planta. 2025 Jul 26;262(3):63. doi: 10.1007/s00425-025-04778-y.
This study identifies the chloroplastic polypeptide chain release factor ZmcpRF1 as a key regulator of chloroplast development and leaf color in maize, affecting both plant survival and growth. Leaf color mutations are a visible phenotype in plants and provide valuable insights into photosynthesis and other biological processes. In this study, we focused on a maize mutant with the segregation of pale green and stunted phenotypes. Genetic analysis showed that these traits were controlled by two independent recessive genes. Using bulked segregant analysis (BSA) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS), three candidate genes were identified for the stunted trait. For the pale green trait, Zm00001eb165700 (chloroplastic polypeptide chain release factor 1, ZmcpRF1) was identified as the only candidate, harboring a missense mutation (c.836G > A|p.G279E). Allelic validation of ZmcpRF1 using another maize mutant with a stop-gain mutation (showing an albino phenotype) further supported this association. The pale green mutant exhibited decreased chlorophyll content, increased relative conductivity (REC), and abnormal chloroplast morphology as compared to normal green plants. This mutant began to wilt at the three-leaf stage and died rapidly by the four-leaf stage. Expression analysis revealed that ZmcpRF1 is predominantly expressed in leaves and is subcellularly localized to chloroplasts. In addition, a conservation analysis was conducted for ZmcpRF1, highlighting its functional importance. These findings underscore the important role of ZmcpRF1 in maize leaf color, chloroplast development, and plant survival.
本研究确定叶绿体多肽链释放因子ZmcpRF1是玉米叶绿体发育和叶片颜色的关键调节因子，影响植物的存活和生长。叶片颜色突变是植物中一种可见的表型，为光合作用和其他生物学过程提供了有价值的见解。在本研究中，我们聚焦于一个具有浅绿色和发育不良表型分离的玉米突变体。遗传分析表明，这些性状由两个独立的隐性基因控制。通过混合分组分析法（BSA）和全基因组测序（WGS），鉴定出了三个与发育不良性状相关的候选基因。对于浅绿色性状，Zm00001eb165700（叶绿体多肽链释放因子1，ZmcpRF1）被确定为唯一的候选基因，它存在一个错义突变（c.836G > A|p.G279E）。利用另一个具有无义突变（表现为白化表型）的玉米突变体对ZmcpRF1进行等位基因验证，进一步支持了这种关联。与正常绿色植株相比，浅绿色突变体的叶绿素含量降低，相对电导率（REC）增加，叶绿体形态异常。该突变体在三叶期开始枯萎，并在四叶期迅速死亡。表达分析表明，ZmcpRF1主要在叶片中表达，且亚细胞定位在叶绿体中。此外，还对ZmcpRF1进行了保守性分析，突出了其功能重要性。这些发现强调了ZmcpRF1在玉米叶片颜色、叶绿体发育和植物存活中的重要作用。
