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The chlorophyllases AtCLH1 and AtCLH2 are not essential for senescence‐related chlorophyll breakdown in Arabidopsis thaliana
Author(s) -
Schenk Nicole,
Schelbert Silvia,
Kanwischer Marion,
Goldschmidt Eliezer E.,
Dörmann Peter,
Hörtensteiner Stefan
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2007.10.060
Subject(s) - phytol , chlorophyll , senescence , arabidopsis thaliana , chloroplast , biology , arabidopsis , botany , biochemistry , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , mutant
One important reaction of chlorophyll (chl) breakdown during plant senescence is the removal of the lipophilic phytol moiety by chlorophyllase. AtCLH1 and AtCLH2 were considered to be required for this reaction in Arabidopsis thaliana . Here we present evidence against this assumption. Using green fluorescent protein fusions, neither AtCLH isoform localizes to chloroplasts, the predicted site of chlorophyll breakdown. Furthermore, clh1 and clh2 single and double knockout lines are still able to degrade chlorophyll during senescence. From our data we conclude that AtCLHs are not required for senescence‐related chlorophyll breakdown in vivo and propose that genuine chlorophyllase has not yet been molecularly identified.