GET3B interacts with the thylakoidal ALB3 and ALB4 insertases and is
involved in the initial stages of chloroplast biogenesis
Abstract
Protein targeting and insertion into membranes are essential for
cellular organization and organelle function. The Guided Entry of
Tail-anchored (GET) pathway facilitates the post-translational targeting
and insertion of tail-anchored (TA) membrane proteins. Arabidopsis
thaliana has four GET3 homologues, including AtGET3B and
AtGET3D localized to chloroplasts. These photosynthetic
organelles possess complex membrane systems, and the mechanisms
underlying their protein targeting and membrane biogenesis are not fully
understood. This study conducted a comprehensive proteomic analysis of
get3b mutant plastids, which displayed significant alterations.
Fluorometric based complex assembly as well as CO 2
assimilation analyses confirmed that disruption of GET3B function
displayed a significant impact on photosystem II assembly as well as
carbon fixation, respectively, indicating a functional role in
chloroplast biogenesis. Additionally, genetic interactions were found
between GET3B and the two component STIC system, which cooperates with
the cpSRP pathway and is involved in the co-translational sorting of
thylakoid proteins. Further, physical interactions were observed between
GET3B and the C-terminus of ALB3 and ALB4 in vitro and the full
length proteins in vivo, indicating a role of GET3B in protein
targeting and membrane integration within chloroplasts. These findings
enhance our understanding of GET3B’s involvement in stromal protein
targeting and thylakoidal biogenesis.