Proteostatic control of chloroplast biogenesishomeostasis is crucial for photosynthetic efficiency. However, previous studies of this process have primarily focused on the model plant ArabidopsisC3 crops,its role in C4 species remains unexplored. The Clp protease complex, which is located in the stroma, plays a crucial role in proteostatic degradation. Mutations in the genes encoding this complex can result in embryonicseedling lethality, stunted plant growthdevelopment,chlorosis. Here, we report that disruption of ZmClpP6 in maize results in transversely greenyellow striped leaves, with alternating greenyellow sectors forming during the nightday, respectively,with yellow sectors especially prominent under high light conditions. High light treatment of mutantswild-type maize leaves caused different changes in reactive oxygen species distributionphotosystem II stability, coinciding with progressive thylakoid membrane reorganization during leaf development. Intriguingly, the light-dependent alternating of transverse yellow-green crossbands diminished as leaves matured, suggesting compensatory regulation during developmental progressionphase transition. The zmclpP6 mutant phenotype is associated with altered accumulation of the photoprotective protein ZmELIP2 under high light, which interacts with the Clp protease complexmay be a potential degradation substrate. Our findings highlight the Clp protease as a key mediator of chloroplast plasticity in response to light. Functional analysis of the Clp protease complex in maize provides insightshow C4 plants balance photoprotection with chloroplast differentiation, offering a framework for understanding the integration of proteostatic control with environmental adaptation in crops.