OsPRDA1 Interacts With OsFSD2 To Promote Chloroplast Development by Regulating Chloroplast Gene Expression in Rice

Chao Zhang; Lengjing Wang; Zirui Wang; Qiang Dai; Haiyang Feng; Shu Xu; Xueju Liu; Jiaqi Tang; Hengxiu Yu

doi:10.1186/s12284-025-00771-x

OsPRDA1 Interacts With OsFSD2 To Promote Chloroplast Development by Regulating Chloroplast Gene Expression in Rice

Rice (N Y). 2025 Mar 12;18(1):14. doi: 10.1186/s12284-025-00771-x.

Authors

Chao Zhang¹, Lengjing Wang¹, Zirui Wang¹, Qiang Dai¹, Haiyang Feng¹, Shu Xu¹, Xueju Liu¹, Jiaqi Tang¹, Hengxiu Yu²

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China.
² Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding/Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, China. hxyu@yzu.edu.cn.

Abstract

Chloroplasts are vital for photosynthesis, and their development necessitates proper expression of chloroplast genes. However, the regulatory mechanisms underlying rice chloroplast gene expression have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we obtained an albino mutant of rice, white seedling and lethal 1 (wsl1), which displays significantly decreased chlorophyll contents and impaired chloroplast ultrastructure. The causal gene Oryza sativa PEP-RELATED DEVELOPMENT ARRESTED 1 (OsPRDA1) was isolated using Mutmap + and verified by gene editing and complementary assays. The expression of OsPRDA1 is induced by light, and OsPRDA1 is localized in chloroplasts. Transcription sequencing revealed that genes related to photosynthesis were differentially expressed in wsl1. The expression levels of the examined plastid-encoded RNA polymerase (PEP)-dependent chloroplast genes are downregulated due to the mutation of OsPRDA1. Moreover, OsPRDA1 interacts with OsFSD2, a member of PEP-associated proteins (PAPs). Knockout of OsFSD2 leads to the albino and seedling-lethal phenotype and downregulation of PEP-dependent chloroplast genes. Together, our results demonstrated that OsPRDA1 plays essential roles in rice chloroplast development, probably by facilitating the function of the PAP complex and chloroplast gene expression.

Keywords: Chloroplast Development; Chloroplast Gene Expression; OsFSD2; OsPRDA1; PAPs.

Abstract

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