Magnesium chelatase subunit D is not only required for chlorophyll biosynthesis and photosynthesis, but also affecting starch accumulation in Manihot esculenta Crantz.

Background: Magnesium chelatase plays an important role in photosynthesis, but only a few subunits have been functionally characterized in cassava.

Results: Herein, MeChlD was successfully cloned and characterized. MeChlD encodes a magnesium chelatase subunit D, which has ATPase and vWA conservative domains.