CLPB3 is required for the removal of chloroplast protein aggregates and for thermotolerance in Chlamydomonas

Abstract

In the cytosol of plant cells, heat-induced protein aggregates are resolved by ClpB/Hsp100 family member HSP101, which is essential for thermotolerance. For chloroplast family member CLPB3 this is less clear with controversial reports on its role in conferring thermotolerance. To shed light onto this issue, we have characterized two Chlamydomonas reinhardtii clpb3 mutants. We show that chloroplast CLPB3 is required for resolving heat-induced protein aggregates containing stromal TIG1 and the small heat shock proteins HSP22E/F in vivo and for conferring thermotolerance under heat stress. Although CLPB3 accumulates to similarly high levels as stromal HSP70B under ambient conditions, we observed no prominent constitutive phenotypes. However, we found decreased accumulation of the ribosomal subunit PRPL1 and increased accumulation of the stromal protease DEG1C in the clpb3 mutants, suggesting that reduction in chloroplast protein synthesis capacity and increase in protease capacity may compensate for loss of CLPB3 function. Under ambient conditions, CLPB3 was distributed throughout the chloroplast but reorganized into stromal foci upon heat stress, which mostly disappeared during recovery. CLPB3 foci were localized next to signals from HSP22E/F, originating largely to the thylakoid membrane occupied area. This suggests a possible role for CLPB3 in disentangling protein aggregates from the thylakoid membrane system. HighlightChloroplast CLPB3 in Chlamydomonas is required for resolving heat-induced protein aggregates and this activity confers thermotolerance under severe heat stress. During heat stress, CLPB3 organizes into stromal foci located next to the thylakoid membrane system, indicating a role for CLPB3 in disentangling protein aggregates from there.