Carotenoids, a class of natural pigments found in all photosynthetic organisms, are involved in a variety of physiologi-cal processes, including coloration, photoprotection, biosynthesis of abscisic acid (ABA) and chloroplast biogenesis.Although carotenoid biosynthesis has been well studied biochemically, the genetic basis of the pathway is not wellunderstood. Here, we report the characterization of two allelic Arabidopsis mutants, spontaneous cell death 1-1 (spcl-1)and spcl-2. The weak allele spcl-1 mutant showed characteristics of bleached leaves, accumulation of superoxide andmosaic cell death. The strong mutant allele spcl-2 caused a complete arrest of plant growth and development shortlyafter germination, leading to a seedling-lethal phenotype. Genetic and molecular analyses indicated that SPC1 encodesa putative ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS) in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. Analysis of carotenoids revealed thatseveral major carotenoid compounds downstream of SPC1/ZDS were substantially reduced in spcl-1, suggesting thatSPC1 is a functional ZDS. Consistent with the downregulated expression of CAO and PORB, the chlorophyll contentwas decreased in spcl-1 plants. In addition, expression of Lhcb1.1, Lhcb1.4 and RbcS was absent in spcl-2, suggestingthe possible involvement of carotenoids in the plastid-to-nucleus retrograde signaling. The spcl-1 mutant also displaysan ABA-deficient phenotype that can be partially rescued by the externally supplied phytohormone. These results suggestthat SPC1/ZDS is essential for biosynthesis of carotenoids and plays a crucial role in plant growth and development.
