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The Maize Oil Yellow1 (Oy1) Gene Encodes the I Subunit of Magnesium Chelatase

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Abstract

Semi-dominant Oil yellow1 (Oy1) mutants of maize (Zea mays) are deficient in the conversion of protoporphyrin IX to magnesium protoporphyrin IX, the first committed step of chlorophyll biosynthesis. Using a candidate gene approach, a cDNA clone was isolated that was predicted to encode the I subunit of magnesium chelatase (ZmCHLI) and mapped to the same genetic interval as Oy1. Allelic variation was identified at ZmCHLI between wild-type plants and plants carrying semi-dominant alleles of Oy1. These differences revealed putative amino acid substitutions that could account for the alterations in protein function. Candidate lesions were tested by introduction of homologous changes into the Synechocystis magnesium chelatase I gene (SschlI) and characterization of the activity of mutant protein variants in an in vitro enzyme activity assay. The results of these analyses suggest that SsChlI protein variants containing the substitutions identified in the dominant Oy1 maize alleles lack activity necessary for magnesium chelation and confer a semi-dominant phenotype via competitive inhibition of wild-type SsChlI.

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Abbreviations

AAA:

ATPases associated with various cellular activities

Fe chelatase:

ferrochelatase

Mg chelatase:

magnesium chelatase

Mg proto IX:

Mg protoporphyrin IX

proto IX:

protoporphyrin IX

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Tower Road, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Ruairidh J. H. Sawers, Phyllis R. Farmer, Katya Anufrikova & Thomas P. Brutnell

  2. Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, Sheffield, UK

    Joanne Viney & C. Neil Hunter

  3. Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA

    Rhiannon R. Bussey & Gregory Olsefski

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  1. Ruairidh J. H. Sawers
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  2. Joanne Viney
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  3. Phyllis R. Farmer
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  4. Rhiannon R. Bussey
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  5. Gregory Olsefski
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  6. Katya Anufrikova
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  7. C. Neil Hunter
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  8. Thomas P. Brutnell
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Correspondence to Thomas P. Brutnell.

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Sawers, R.J.H., Viney, J., Farmer, P.R. et al. The Maize Oil Yellow1 (Oy1) Gene Encodes the I Subunit of Magnesium Chelatase. Plant Mol Biol 60, 95–106 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-005-2880-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-005-2880-0

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