Overexpression of the protein disulfide isomerase AtCYO1 in chloroplasts slows dark-induced senescence in Arabidopsis

Background Chlorophyll breakdown is the most obvious sign of leaf senescence. The chlorophyll catabolism pathway and the associated proteins/genes have been identified in considerable detail by genetic approaches combined with stay-green phenotyping. Arabidopsis CYO1 (AtCYO1), a protein disulfide reductase/isomerase localized in the thylakoid membrane, is hypothesized to assemble the photosystem by interacting with cysteine residues of the subunits.