Chlorophyll dephytylase 1 and chlorophyll synthase: a chlorophyll salvage pathway for the turnover of photosystems I and II

SUMMARY Chlorophyll (Chl) is made up of the tetrapyrrole chlorophyllide and phytol, a diterpenoid alcohol. The photosynthetic protein complexes utilize Chl for light harvesting to produce biochemical energy for plant development. However, excess light and adverse environmental conditions facilitate generation of reactive oxygen species, which damage photosystems I and II (PSI and PSII) and induce their turnover. During this process, Chl is released, and is thought to be recycled via dephytylation and rephytylation. We previously demonstrated that Chl recycling in Arabidopsis under heat stress is mediated by the enzymes chlorophyll dephytylase 1 (CLD1) and chlorophyll synthase (CHLG) using chlg and cld1 mutants. Here, we show that the mutants with high CLD1/CHLG ratio, by different combinations of chlg‐1 (a knock‐down mutant) and the hyperactive cld1‐1 alleles, develop necrotic leaves when grown under long‐ and short‐day, but not continuous light conditions, owing to the accumulation of chlorophyllide in the dark. Combination of chlg‐1 with cld1‐4 (a knock‐out mutant) leads to reduced chlorophyllide accumulation and necrosis. The operation of CLD1 and CHLG as a Chl salvage pathway was also explored in the context of Chl recycling during the turnover of Chl‐binding proteins of the two photosystems. CLD1 was found to interact with CHLG and the light‐harvesting complex‐like proteins OHP1 and LIL3, implying that auxiliary factors are required for this process. Significance Statement Salvage of chlorophyll for reuse has been proposed for decades, but its physiological basis remains unclear. This study identifies the plant chlorophyll salvage pathway composed of chlorophyll dephytylase 1, chlorophyll synthase, and the light‐harvesting complex‐like proteins OHP1 and LIL3 for the recycling of chlorophyll during turnover of photosystems I and II.