Abstract
To study the functions of nuclear genes involved in chloroplast development, we identified a large number of albino or pale-green (apg) mutants in Ds-tagged lines. We present the analysis of the apg4 and apg9. The apg4 mutant had white cotyledons and yellow or green variegated true leaves, fertility. The apg4 mutant had Ds inserted in promoter region of ribosome binding factor (RBFA) homologue.The mRNA expression of RBFA was not detected in apg4 by RT-PCR analysis. These white cotyledons and true leaves had abnormal plastids contained undeveloped lamella structure, but true leaves had also normal plastids. We isolated one mutant line possessing a T-DNA insertion within gene of RBFA from the collection of T-DNA tag lines. It showed pale-green cotyledons, and similar to apg4 phenotype. These results indicated that disruption of the RBFA gene causes white cotyledons. The apg9 phenotype showed an albino, plastids had undeveloped lamella structure.
