Recombinant Whirly1 translocates from transplastomic chloroplasts to the nucleus

Whirly1 was shown to be dually located in chloroplasts and nucleus of the same cell. To investigate whether the protein translocates from chloroplasts to the nucleus, we inserted a construct encoding an HA-tagged Whirly1 into the plastid genome of tobacco. Although the tagged protein was synthesized in plastids, it was detected in nuclei. Dual location of the protein was confirmed by immunocytological analyses. These results indicate that the plastidial Whirly1 is translocated from the plastid to the nucleus where it affects expression of target genes such as PR1. Our results support a role of Whirly1 in plastid-nucleus communication.

► We prepared transplastomic tobacco expressing the nuclear Whirly1 gene in plastids.
► Tagged Whirly1 produced by plastids translocates into the nucleus.
► In the nucleus tagged Whirly1 induces expression of pathogen response genes.