GFP-labelled Rubisco and aspartate aminotransferase are present in plastid stromules and traffic between plastids

J Exp Bot. 2004 Mar;55(397):595-604. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erh062. Epub 2004 Jan 30.

Abstract

Plastid stromules are membrane-bound protrusions of the plastid envelope that contain soluble stroma. Stromules are often found connecting plastids within a cell and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments have demonstrated that green fluorescent protein (GFP) can move between plastids via these connections. In this report, the ability of endogenous plastid proteins to travel through stromules was investigated. The motility of GFP-labelled plastid aspartate aminotransferase and the Rubisco small subunit was studied in stromules by FRAP. Both fusion proteins assemble into protein complexes that appear to behave similarly to their endogenous counterparts. In addition, both enzymes are capable of trafficking between plastids via stromules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis / enzymology
  • Arabidopsis / genetics*
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / genetics
  • Arabidopsis Proteins / metabolism
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / genetics*
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases / metabolism
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Hypocotyl / enzymology
  • Intracellular Membranes / enzymology
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics*
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Plant Leaves / enzymology
  • Plants, Genetically Modified
  • Plastids / genetics
  • Plastids / physiology*
  • Protein Transport
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Arabidopsis Proteins
  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Recombinant Fusion Proteins
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Aspartate Aminotransferases