Chinese Bulletin of Botany

Previous Articles     Next Articles

Genetic Mapping and Analysis of a Chloroplast Division Mutant cpd111 in Arabidopsis thaliana

Xia Liu1, Yuefang Gao1, Yuhong Shi1, Xinzhao Shen1, Zhonghua Liu1*, Hongbo Gao1,2*   

  1. 1College of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China

    2National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
  • Received:2012-01-19 Revised:2012-03-07 Online:2012-05-01 Published:2012-07-06
  • Contact: Zhonghua Liu;Hongbo Gao

Abstract: Ethyl-methane sulfonate mutagenesis revealed a chloroplast division mutant, chloroplast division111 (cpd111), in Arabidopsis thaliana. Genetic analysis indicated that the mutant was controlled by a single recessive gene. Chloroplasts in the mutant were fewer in number and more heterogeneous in size than those in the wild type. The correlation between chloroplast number and cell size was not obvious in the mutant. Map-based cloning revealed a mutation in FtsZ1 responsible for the mutant phenotype. The mutation affected the splicing and stability of FtsZ1 mRNA, caused early translational termination of the protein and resulted in a chloroplast division defect in cpd111. We provide new materials and information for a better understanding of the function of FtsZ1 in chloroplast division.