The mosaic mutants of cucumber: A method to produce knock-downs of mitochondrial transcripts

Authors: DEL VALLE-ECHEVARRIA, ANGEL - University Of Wisconsin; KIELKOWSKA, AGNIESZKA - Agricultural University Of Poland; BARTOSZEWSKI, GRZEGORZ - Warsaw University Of Life Sciences; Havey, Michael

Submitted to: G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/11/2015
Publication Date: 4/14/2015
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60974
Citation: Del Valle-Echevarria, A.R., Kielkowska, A., Bartoszewski, G., Havey, M.J. 2015. The mosaic mutants of cucumber: a method to produce knock-downs of mitochondrial transcripts. G3, Genes/Genomes/Genetics. 5(6):1211-1221.

Interpretive Summary: Cytoplasmic effects on plant performance are well documented and result from the intimate interaction between organellar and nuclear gene products. In plants, deletions, mutations, or chimerism of mitochondrial genes are often associated with deleterious phenotypes, as well as economically important traits such as cytoplasmic male sterility used to produce hybrid seed. Presently genetic analyses of mitochondrial function and nuclear interactions are limited because there is no method to efficiently produce mitochondrial mutants. Cucumber possesses unique attributes useful for organellar genetics, including differential transmission of the three plant genomes (maternal for plastid, paternal for mitochondrial, and bi-parental for nuclear); a relatively large mitochondrial DNA in which recombination among repetitive motifs produces rearrangements; and the existence of strongly mosaic (MSC), paternally transmitted phenotypes that appear after passage of wild-type plants through cell cultures and possess unique rearrangements in the mitochondrial DNA. We sequenced the mitochondrial DNAs from three independently produced MSC lines and revealed under-represented regions and reduced transcription of mitochondrial genes carried in these regions relative to the wild-type parental line. Mass spectrometry and western blots did not corroborate transcriptional differences in the mitochondrial proteome of the MSC mutant lines indicating that post-transcriptional events, such as protein longevity, may compensate for reduced transcription in MSC mitochondria. Our results support cucumber as a model system to produce transcriptional “knock downs” of mitochondrial genes, useful to study mitochondrial responses and nuclear interactions. These results will be of use to breeders and geneticists towards an understanding the interaction between the organellar and nuclear DNAs, which is important for plant performance and tolerances to stresses.

Technical Abstract: Cytoplasmic effects on plant performance are well documented and result from the intimate interaction between organellar and nuclear gene products. In plants, deletions, mutations, or chimerism of mitochondrial genes are often associated with deleterious phenotypes, as well as economically important traits such as cytoplasmic male sterility used to produce hybrid seed. Presently genetic analyses of mitochondrial function and nuclear interactions are limited because there is no method to efficiently produce mitochondrial mutants. Cucumber possesses unique attributes useful for organellar genetics, including differential transmission of the three plant genomes (maternal for plastid, paternal for mitochondrial, and bi-parental for nuclear); a relatively large mitochondrial DNA in which recombination among repetitive motifs produces rearrangements; and the existence of strongly mosaic (MSC), paternally transmitted phenotypes that appear after passage of wild-type plants through cell cultures and possess unique rearrangements in the mitochondrial DNA. We sequenced the mitochondrial DNAs from three independently produced MSC lines and revealed under-represented regions and reduced transcription of mitochondrial genes carried in these regions relative to the wild-type parental line. Mass spectrometry and western blots did not corroborate transcriptional differences in the mitochondrial proteome of the MSC mutant lines indicating that post-transcriptional events, such as protein longevity, may compensate for reduced transcription in MSC mitochondria. Our results support cucumber as a model system to produce transcriptional “knock downs” of mitochondrial genes, useful to study mitochondrial responses and nuclear interactions important for plant performance.