A P‐type pentatricopeptide repeat protein ZmRF5 promotes 5′ region partial cleavages of atp6c transcripts to restore the fertility of CMS‐C maize by recruiting a splicing factor

Abstract

SummaryA fast evolution within mitochondria genome(s) often generates discords between nuclear and mitochondria, which is manifested as cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) and fertility restoration (Rf) system. The maize CMS‐C trait is regulated by the chimeric mitochondrial gene, atp6c, and can be recovered by the restorer gene ZmRf5. Through positional cloning in this study, we identified the nuclear restorer gene, ZmRf5, which encodes a P‐type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) family protein. The over‐expression of ZmRf5 brought back the fertility to CMS‐C plants, whereas its genomic editing by CRISPR/Cas9 induced abortive pollens in the restorer line. ZmRF5 is sorted to mitochondria, and recruited RS31A, a splicing factor, through MORF8 to form a cleaving/restoring complex, which promoted the cleaving of the CMS‐associated transcripts atp6c by shifting the major cleavage site from 480th nt to 344 th nt for fast degradation, and preserved just right amount of atp6c RNA for protein translation, providing adequate ATP6C to assembly complex V, thus restoring male fertility. Interestingly, ATP6C in the sterile line CMo17A, with similar cytology and physiology changes to YU87‐1A, was accumulated much less than it in NMo17B, exhibiting a contrary trend in the YU87‐1 nuclear genome previously reported, and was restored to normal level in the presence of ZmRF5. Collectively these findings unveil a new molecular mechanism underlying fertility restoration by which ZmRF5 cooperates with MORF8 and RS31A to restore CMS‐C fertility in maize, complemented and perfected the sterility mechanism, and enrich the perspectives on communications between nucleus and mitochondria.

Pentatricopeptide repeat 153 (PPR153) restores maize C-type cytoplasmic male sterility in conjunction with RF4

“…Rf8 is associated with the accumulation of the additional 1.42- and 0.42-kb T-urf13 transcripts, and Rf* is associated with 1.40- and 0.40 kb T- urf13 transcripts [ 24 , 25 ]. Rf12 is a restorer for CMS-C and maps to this cluster with at least two alleles, one of which shifts the cleavage site in atp6c transcripts [ 26 , 27 ]. Rf12 is a dominant gene capable of restoring fertility without the presence of Rf4 .…”