A mutation in the Arabidopsis gene STARIK leads to dwarfism and chlorosis of plants with an altered morphology of leaf and cell nuclei. We show that the STARIK gene encodes the mitochondrial ABC transporter Sta1 that belongs to a subfamily of Arabidopsis half-ABC transporters. The severity of the starik phenotype is suppressed by the ectopic expression of the STA2 homolog; thus, Sta1 function is partially redundant. Sta1 supports the maturation of cytosolic Fe/S protein in Deltaatm1 yeast, substituting for the ABC transporter Atm1p. Similar to Atm1p-deficient yeast, mitochondria of the starik mutant accumulated more nonheme, nonprotein iron than did wild-type organelles. We further show that plant mitochondria contain a putative l-cysteine desulfurase. Taken together, our results suggest that plant mitochondria possess an evolutionarily conserved Fe/S cluster biosynthesis pathway, which is linked to the intracellular iron homeostasis by the function of Atm1p-like ABC transporters.

• PMID: 11158531
• DOI full text
• PMC full text
• PubMed
• PubTator

Reference Type

Journal Article | Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Authors

Kushnir S, Babiychuk E, Storozhenko S, Davey MW, Papenbrock J, De Rycke R, Engler G, Stephan UW, Lange H, Kispal G, ... Show all

Primary Lit For

Additional Lit For

Review For