Biopolymers and cell. 1999; 15 (6): 496 - 500

Reduction of plastid protein synthesis apparatus is a base of stable chlorophyll deficiency induced by antibiotics in plants

M. K. Zubko

A molecular base for the stable chlorophyll deficiency induced with high frequency by antibiotics spectinomycin and streptomycin in cruciferous plants has been studied. It has been shown that the most probable cause of chlorophyll deficiency is knockouting plastid protein biosynthesis due to the reduction of plastid protein synthesis apparatus, in particular, ribosomal RNA as the most important component. This phenomenon is proposed as a model for studying biosynthetic functions of plastids.