The Role of FtsH11 Protease in Chloroplast Biogenesis and Maintenance at Elevated Temperatures in Model and Crop Plants
Authors: Chen Junping , Adam Zach , Admon Arie 
Published: March 2022

specific objectives of this proposal were to: 1) determine the location, topology, and oligomerization of FtsH11 protease; 2) identify the substrate/s of FtsH11 and the downstream components involved in maintaining thermostability of chloroplasts; 3) identify new elements involved in FtsH11 protease regulatory network related to HT adaptation processes in chloroplast; 4) Study the role of FtsH11 homologs from crop species in HT tolerance. Background to the topic: HT-tolerant varieties that maintain high photosynthetic efficiency at HT, and cope better with daily and seasonal temperature fluctuations are in great need to alleviate the effect of global warming on food production. Photosynthesis is a very complex process requiring accurate coordination of many complex systems and constant adjustments to the changing environments. Proteolytic activities mediated by various proteases in chloroplast are essential part of this process and critical for maintaining normal chloroplast functions under HT. However, little is known about mechanisms that contribute to adaptation of photosynthetic processes to HT. Our study has shown that a chloroplast-targeted Arabidopsis FtsH11 protease plays an essential and specific role in maintaining thermostability of thylakoids and normal photosynthesis at moderate HT. We hypothesized that FtsH11 homologs recently identified in other plant species might have roles similarly to that of AtFtsH1. Thus, dissecting the underlying mechanisms of FtsH11 in the adaptation mechanisms in chloroplasts to HT stress and other elements involved will aid our effort to produce more agricultural products in less favorable environments. Major conclusions, solutions, achievements - Identified the chloroplast inner envelope membrane localization of FtsH11. - Revealed a specific association of FtsH11 with the a and b subunits of CPN60. - Identified the involvement of ARC6, a protein coordinates chloroplast division machineries in plants, in FtsH11 mediated HT adaptation process in chloroplast. -Reveal possible association of a polyribonucleotide nucleotidyltransferase (cpPNPase), coded by At3G03710, with FtsH11 mediated HT adaptation process in chloroplast. - Mapped 4 additional loci in FtsH11 mediated HT adaptation network in chloroplast. - Demonstrated importance of the proteolytic activity of FtsH11 for thermotolerance, in addition to the ATPase activity. - Demonstrated a conserved role of plant FtsH11 proteases in chloroplast biogenesis and in maintaining structural and functional thermostability of chloroplast at elevated temperatures. Implications, both scientific and agricultural:Three different components interacting with FtsH11 were identified during the course of this study. At present, it is not known whether these proteins are directly involved in FtsH11mediated thermotolerance network in chloroplast and/or how these elements are interrelated. Studies aiming to connect the dot among biological functions of these networks are underway in both labs. Nevertheless, in bacteria where it was first studied, FtsH functions in heat shock response by regulating transcription level of σ32, a heat chock factor regulates HSPsexpression. FtsH also involves in control of biosynthesis of membrane components and quality control of membrane proteins etc. In plants, both Arc 6 and CPN60 identified in this study are essential in chloroplast division and developments as mutation of either one impairs chloroplast division in Arabidopsis. The facts that we have found the specific association of both α and β CPN60 with FtsH11 protein biochemically, the suppression/ enhancement of ftsh11 thermosensitive phenotype by arc6 /pnp allele genetically, implicate inter-connection of these networks via FtsH11 mediated network(s) in regulating the dynamic adaptation processes of chloroplast to temperature increases at transcriptional, translational and post-translational levels. The conserved role of FtsH11 proteases in maintaining thermostability of chloroplast at HT demonstrated here provides a foundation for improving crop photosynthetic performance at high temperatures.