Co-suppression of NbClpC1 and NbClpC2, chaperone subunits in the Clp protease complex, accelerates hypersensitive response and increases disease susceptibility in Nicotiana benthamiana

The Clp protease complex, which is the central protein degradation machinery in plastids, plays a role similar to proteasome. ClpC1 and ClpC2 comprise the chaperonic part of the Clp protease and share more than 90% nucleotide sequence similarity with each other. In a previous study, the co-suppression of Nicotiana benthamiana ClpC1 and ClpC2 (NbClpC1/C2) resulted in leaf chlorosis, growth retardation phenotype, disappearance of apical dominance...