Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 117, Issue 35, Pages 21796-21803Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2004405117
Keywords
carotenoid; chromoplast; differentiation; phytoene; synthetic
Categories
Funding
- European Regional Development Fund
- Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigacion [BIO2017-84041-P, BIO2017-83184-R, BIO2017-90877-REDT, BES-2017-080652, AGL2017-85563-C2-1-R]
- Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports [AP2012-3751, FPU16/04054]
- Generalitat de Catalunya [2017SGR-710]
- European Union's Horizon 2020 (EU-H2020) COST Action (EuroCaroten) [CA15136]
- Marie S. Curie Action (MSCA) (Arcatom) [753301]
- Severo Ochoa Programme for Centres of Excellence in R&D 2016-2019 Grant [SEV-2015-0533]
- Generalitat de Catalunya CERCA Programme
- CSIRO Synthetic Biology Future Science Platform
- La Caixa Foundation PhD INPhINIT Fellowship from the EU-H2020 through MSCA Grant [LCF/BQ/IN18/11660004, 713673]
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DFG TRR 175]
- Macquarie University
- Marie Curie Actions (MSCA) [753301] Funding Source: Marie Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Plastids, the defining organelles of plant cells, undergo physiological and morphological changes to fulfill distinct biological functions. In particular, the differentiation of chloroplasts into chromoplasts results in an enhanced storage capacity for carotenoids with industrial and nutritional value such as beta-carotene (provitamin A). Here, we show that synthetically inducing a burst in the production of phytoene, the first committed intermediate of the carotenoid pathway, elicits an artificial chloroplast-to-chromoplast differentiation in leaves. Phytoene overproduction initially interferes with photosynthesis, acting as a metabolic threshold switch mechanism that weakens chloroplast identity. In a second stage, phytoene conversion into downstream carotenoids is required for the differentiation of chromoplasts, a process that involves a concurrent reprogramming of nuclear gene expression and plastid morphology for improved carotenoid storage. We hence demonstrate that loss of photosynthetic competence and enhanced production of carotenoids are not just consequences but requirements for chloroplasts to differentiate into chromoplasts.
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