Insights into the function of the chloroplastic ribosome-associated GTPase high frequency of lysogenization X in Arabidopsis thaliana

Ribosome-associated GTPases are conserved enzymes that participate in ribosome biogenesis and ribosome function. In bacteria, recent studies have identified HflX as a ribosome-associated GTPase that is involved in both ribosome biogenesis and recycling under stress conditions. Plants possess a chloroplastic HflX homolog, but its function remains unknown. Here, we characterized the role of HflX in the plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Our findings show that HflX does not affect normal plant growth, nor does it play an essential role in acclimation to several different stresses, including heat, manganese, cold, and salt stress under the conditions tested. However, we found that HflX is required for plant resistance to chloroplast translational stress mediated by the antibiotic lincomycin. Our results suggest that HflX is a chloroplast ribosome-associated protein that may play a role in the surveillance of translation. These findings provide new insight into the function of HflX as a ribosome-associated GTPase in plants and highlight the importance of investigating conserved proteins in different organisms to gain a comprehensive understanding of their biological roles.