Phosphate availability affects the tonoplast localization of PLDζ2, an Arabidopsis thaliana phospholipase D

Under phosphate deprivation, higher plants change their lipid composition and recycle phosphate from phospholipids. A phospholipase D, PLDζ2, is involved in this recycling and in other cellular functions related to plant development. We investigated the localization of Arabidopsis PLDζ2 by cell fractionation and in vivo GFP confocal imaging. AtPLDζ2 localizes to the tonoplast and the Nter regulatory domain is sufficient for its sorting. Under phosphate deprivation, AtPLDζ2 remains located in the tonoplast but its distribution is uneven. We observed PLDζ2-enriched tonoplast domains preferentially positioned close to mitochondria and beside chloroplasts. In absence of PLDζ2, membrane developments were visualized inside vacuoles.