Recent Posts

Altering chloroplast biogenesis leads to increased yields in rice

Transcription of chloroplast genes is carried out by the plastid encoded polymerase (PEP) with help from PAPs (PEP-associated proteins). PAP3 is important for chloroplast development in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana, however its role in crops has not been fully elucidated. Here Seo et…

Review: Red macroalgae in the genomic era

I highly recommend this excellent and accessible article by Borg et al. that provides an overview of the red macroalgae, which “may have been the first eukaryotic lineage to have evolved complex multicellularity”. It’s full of fascinating information: although 97% of red algal species are marine,…

A paternal perspective on maternal inheritance

Nuclear DNA is inherited from both parents during sexual reproduction, but organellar DNA is (usually) exclusively received from the mother. However, stable biparental inheritance of organellar DNA has also been reported in plants and animals but its molecular mechanism is unknown. Using quantitative…

Transcriptome sequencing of a novel albino mutant of hexaploid sweetpotato (Plant Mol Biol Rep)

Albino plants lack chlorophyll, which means that they cannot photosynthesize. These kinds of plant are unique and can offer information as to the molecular mechanism of chlorophyll degradation and photosynthesis in plants. Here, Arisha et al. explored the differences in gene expression patterns of seedling…

A novel GUN1-independent retrograde signaling pathway represses photomorphogenesis (Plant Physiol.)

Seedlings emerging in light undergo photomorphogenic development, forming short hypocotyls and green, fully opened cotyledons. Disruption of chloroplast development by drugs such as lincomycin induces retrograde signals (RS) that inhibit photomorphogenesis. The retrograde signaling pathway has been known…

More than photosynthesis: The chloroplast’s role in plant cell defense pathways ($) (Cell)

Chloroplasts are involved in various plant cell functions outside of photosynthesis including defense activation. How is the chloroplast able to do so? In this study, Medina-Puche et al. characterized the molecular function and cellular localization of the Tomato yellow leaf curl virus-derived C4 protein.…

Plastid stress signaling alters cell cycle progression (Cell Reports)

The chloroplast is in constant communication with the nucleus via so-called retrograde signaling. This signaling, which can take many molecular forms, is important for maintaining chloroplast function. In this paper by Duan et al. we learn that interfering with plastid DNA replication, either through…

Synthetic conversion of leaf chloroplasts into carotenoid-rich plastids reveals mechanistic basis of natural chromoplast development (PNAS) ($)

Biofortification aims at increasing the content of health-promoting nutrients in edible parts of the plant. As an example, enhancing the production of carotenoids - natural pigments that provide the yellow to red color – in crops could prevent vitamin A deficiency in humans. In nature, carotenoids…

How to transfer lipids from one membrane to another during thylakoid biogenesis (PNAS)

The thylakoid membranes are located in the stroma of chloroplasts and house the machinery for the photosynthetic light reactions. They emerge largely de novo during the transition from pro-plastids into mature, photosynthesizing chloroplasts. Generating new thylakoid membranes requires a supply of lipids,…