Articles tagged with Chloroplasts
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Researchers develop synthetic chloroplasts using microfluidics and spinach thylakoid membranes to mimic complex natural photosynthetic processes. The system enables light-powered CO2 fixation with potential applications in small-molecule synthesis and carbon sequestration.
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown signaling pathway that protects chloroplasts from damage caused by intense sunlight. This pathway, involving the protein SAFE1, suppresses light-induced programmed cell death and promotes stress tolerance in plants.
A team of researchers from Japan and the UK has identified a crucial communication route in developing chloroplasts, the energy factories of plant cells. The newly characterized protein GUN1 regulates tetrapyrrole biosynthesis, controlling the cell's production of heme.
Researchers discovered that Vitamin E works in plants under extreme conditions by sending signals from chloroplasts to the cell nucleus. This retrograde signalling mechanism helps regulate key aspects of plant development, such as senescence and ripening of fruits.
Researchers have discovered a protein that triggers a defense mechanism in plant cells when exposed to excessive light, protecting them from damage. This finding has implications for agriculture, as it could help crops withstand harsh climate conditions and increase the production of proteins used in vaccines.
Researchers aim to increase photosynthesis efficiency by introducing an algal structure into plants, potentially increasing crop productivity. The team plans to engineer Arabidopsis thaliana with a functional pyrenoid to enhance carbon fixation and growth.
Researchers have identified the HvAST gene as the cause of variegation in albostrians barley, a breakthrough that sheds new light on chloroplast biogenesis. The discovery provides novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying chloroplast development and has significant implications for plant biology.
UC Riverside researchers identified two genes responsible for regulating plant greening through mutant plant experiments. The discovery sheds light on the complex process of photosynthesis and its control by the cell's nucleus and chloroplasts.
Researchers discover GUN1 plays a crucial role in regulating chloroplast-to-nucleus communication, enabling plants to respond to stress. This finding may help breed plants that can better withstand environmental stressors and maintain food production.
A new genetic tool has been developed by MIT researchers, allowing for easier engineering of plants that can survive drought or resist fungal infections. The technique uses nanoparticles to deliver genes into the chloroplasts of plant cells, which have the potential to revolutionize plant biology and agriculture.
Scientists at University of Oxford have identified a novel biochemical pathway, CHLORAD, that enables plants to tolerate environmental stresses. This breakthrough could lead to more resilient crop varieties essential for global food security.
Researchers at CRAG have discovered that chloroplasts play a key role in regulating the shade avoidance syndrome in plants, allowing them to optimize photosynthesis. This discovery has important implications for improving crop productivity without increasing land use.
A new study by the University of Illinois and Massachusetts Institute of Technology refutes the idea that C4 crops like corn and sugarcane are limited in their ability to produce Rubisco, an enzyme essential for photosynthesis. The researchers found that these crops' chloroplasts have sufficient space to house more than enough Rubisco ...
Researchers found that mature plant chloroplasts isolate ATP production, while young leaves allow for temporary import of ATP to support development. This strategy optimizes energy efficiency in plants.
Researchers at Osaka University have discovered a huge novel transport channel and its associated protein transport motor that is essential for chloroplast formation. The motor complex functions as an import motor in a close association with the transport channel, utilizing an ancient enzyme to extract proteins from the membrane.
Researchers at MIT have developed a self-healing material that can grow, strengthen and repair itself by reacting with carbon dioxide from the air. The material, made from a polymer and chloroplasts, becomes stronger as it incorporates the carbon.
Researchers have developed a sensitive new test to detect trace amounts of peanuts in foods using the peanuts' DNA. The new assay targets DNA from peanut chloroplasts, resulting in a detection limit of about 1 part per million.
Researchers at Université de Genève reveal the mechanism of seed germination, where proplastids differentiate into chloroplasts within 48 hours. The process is controlled by growth hormone gibberellic acid and protein TOC159, ensuring rapid transition to autonomous growth.
A team of researchers at RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science has discovered a gene in plants called Heat Inducible Lipase 1 (HIL1) that helps protect them from excessive heat. This gene enables plants to modify their fats, which stabilize chloroplast membranes and prevent damage from high temperatures.
Researchers found antioxidants from SkQ ions slow down plant cell death and senescence, but not photosynthesis or respiration. They also contain plastoquinone, which influences plant cells and chloroplasts.
Researchers found that Target of Rapamycin (TOR) modulates chloroplast rRNA transcription, linking cytosolic and chloroplast ribosome biogenesis in plants. This discovery sheds light on the regulation of growth in plant cells.
A team of researchers has discovered that plants' daily cycle of heat resistance is triggered by light exposure and involves chloroplast signalling. This finding could lead to the development of crops that can withstand increasingly hot temperatures and more frequent heatwaves under climate change.
Researchers developed a new tool to sequence chloroplast DNA from hundreds of plants at once, allowing for accurate tracking of seed dispersal across landscapes. This method has significantly reduced the costs of genetic studies, enabling biologists to investigate plant populations and their movements.
Researchers proposed a model explaining how plants regulate photosynthesis in response to varying light intensities through redox systems like thioredoxins and NTRC. The chloroplasts have protective antioxidant enzymes, such as 2-cys peroxiredoxin, which play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of these redox systems.
Researchers at CRAG have discovered a key gene (HsfA2) that activates chaperone synthesis to rescue cells from toxic effects of misfolded proteins. This mechanism is similar to those found in human nerve cells and may help understand and treat protein-misfolding diseases.
A new study reveals that the chloroplast lineage split from its closest cyanobacterial ancestor over 2.1 billion years ago in low salinity environments, marking a crucial step in photosynthesis evolution. The association of the chloroplast with its eukaryotic host took place around 800-750 million years ago in marine environments.
Researchers discovered that hydrogen peroxide plays a crucial role in plant adaptation to sunlight. Plants use H2O2 to signal genes in their cell nuclei, allowing them to adjust and protect photosynthesis. This process ensures plants continue to thrive under varying light conditions.
Japanese researchers isolated a protein essential for chloroplast nucleoid segregation, improving understanding of chloroplast DNA dynamics. The moc1 gene functions as a 'Holliday junction resolvase', untangling DNA structures crucial for cell health.
A new mutation in the Lotus japonicus plant has been identified, resulting in leaves with white spots. The mutation is linked to a shortage of chloroplast proteins, which are crucial for plant growth, and may hold clues for improving ornamental plants.
Researchers discovered that green algae use a unique protein machinery in their chloroplasts to assemble functional hydrogenases. This breakthrough enables biotechnological methods for efficient hydrogen production in green algae.
Scientists at Tohoku University have discovered a previously unknown type of autophagy that removes damaged chloroplasts in plants, shedding light on the aging process. This finding could lead to new methods for controlling plant aging and enhancing crop yields.
Begonia species have evolved a nanoscale light-trapping structure to harvest energy in low-light environments. The iridoplasts, found only in dark conditions, reflect blue light and absorb green light to maximize photosynthesis.
Scientists at Universität Bonn have discovered a lipid transfer process crucial for plant cell survival. This process enables the exchange of galactolipids between chloroplast membrane envelopes, facilitating photosynthesis and plant growth.
Researchers have discovered a novel repair system in algae that can cut out interrupting sequences from proteins, potentially leading to new biotechnological applications such as producing pharmaceuticals or protein products. The study found that chloroplast extracts and light can restore RNA-cutting activity to inactive proteins.
Researchers visualize peptidoglycan 'wall' in moss chloroplasts for the first time, overturning traditional understanding of chloroplast structure. The discovery has significant implications for our knowledge of plant cell biology and the origins of photosynthesis.
Researchers at Université de Genève identified a protein Mac1 that plays a key role in recycling photosystem I components to recover iron. In response to nutrient deficiencies, the alga dismantles its photosystems and recycles some of their components.
The new model simulates light-harvesting across a thylakoid membrane, enabling the explanation of PSII's high quantum efficiency. The research paves the way for improving food crop yields and developing artificial photosynthesis technologies for solar energy systems.
Researchers developed a strategy to recover plastid sequences from nuclear DNA in plants. This allows for the assembly of complete chloroplast genomes, providing valuable information about evolutionary relationships and plant processes linked to environmental changes.
A new protein has been identified that selectively clears damaged chloroplasts from plant cells, reducing oxidative stress and maintaining photosynthesis efficiency. The discovery reveals a complex quality control mechanism in plants.
Plants have developed a unique mechanism to selectively degrade damaged chloroplasts, allowing them to conserve energy and thrive in challenging environments. This discovery could lead to the development of stronger crops with improved yield and resistance to stressors.
Researchers at UC Davis and the University of Delaware discovered that chloroplast tubes play a key role in plants' immune defense. The discovery reveals how chloroplasts deliver signals to the nucleus, inducing programmed cell death and preparing other cells to resist infection.
Researchers at Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz identified IM30 as a protein that triggers membrane fusion, crucial for thylakoid membrane system formation and maintenance. This discovery provides a starting point for future research on membrane fusion mechanisms in chloroplasts and blue-green algae.
A new study provides an accurate description of citrus evolution, tracing the genus back to a single common ancestor and identifying six genes driving genetic variation. The research also sheds light on the emergence of popular citrus species like mandarins and lemons.
A research team aims to create semi-artificial chloroplasts to produce biofuels and other chemicals, using synthetic biology tools. The 'Sun2Chem' project, funded by the EU with 1.2 million euros, will modify natural chloroplasts to generate biotechnologically relevant products.
A recent study reveals that sea slugs can absorb genes from the algae they eat, enabling them to photosynthesize and survive for months on sunlight. This natural process has implications for gene therapy and rapid evolution in multicellular species.
Researchers at Ludwig Maximilians University have identified a novel chloroplast membrane protein that plays a central role in transporting fatty acids from chloroplasts into the cell cytoplasm. This discovery may lead to new strategies for producing biofuels, which are rich in TAG-rich plant oils.
Researchers found that fragmented chloroplast DNA sequences, known as cpSSRs, are still widely used to study plant genetics. The number of studies using cpSSRs has doubled in the past decade.
Researchers from RIKEN and Okayama University identified PHT4;4 as the transport protein allowing vitamin C to enter chloroplasts. This discovery could lead to crop plants with higher tolerances to environmental stress, reducing damage to farmland in regions with strong light.
Researchers embedded carbon nanotubes into chloroplasts to capture light energy by 30 percent. Plants were also modified to detect nitric oxide, a common environmental pollutant. This represents the first steps in launching plant nanobionics, a field that could turn plants into self-powered devices.
A new DNA barcode has been identified for palms, allowing for reliable species recognition and hybrid detection. The study successfully identified eight out of thirteen species and correctly identified over 82% of the individuals screened.
Researchers at Oxford University Press UK identified the tannosome organelle, responsible for producing complex chemicals used in plant defense and protection. This discovery sheds light on the synthesis of tannins, a key component in making tea and red wine taste their distinctive way.
New research from Carnegie Institution for Science reveals that coral bleaching occurs even when algae are heat-stressed in the dark, suggesting novel mechanisms beyond toxic oxygen molecules. The study provides key details on the breakdown of photosynthetic apparatus and potential strategies to mitigate bleaching.
Researchers aim to improve biosynthetic yield of valuable natural products using metabolically modified bacteria with optimized MEP pathways. The goal is to produce high-quality substances efficiently, reducing labor and costs in the process.
A team of scientists identified a protein that induces membrane curvature in thylakoids, enabling the formation of stacks. The CURT1 protein enhances photosynthesis efficiency by increasing the degree of stacking and potentially boosting crop yields.
For the first time, a large complex of proteins and RNA has been identified in chloroplasts, which cuts non-coding regions out of messenger RNA to create a protein blueprint. The study reveals that this splicing complex contains 23 different proteins encoded in the cell nucleus.
Researchers date cyanobacterial invasion into one-celled plants to 900 million years ago, revealing new insights into the origins of photosynthesis. By analyzing fossil and genetic evidence, they estimated the age of this ancient event, providing a more precise timeline for the evolution of plant and animal cells.
Plant biologists can now sequence hundreds of complete chloroplast genomes simultaneously, facilitating studies on molecular biology and evolution. This breakthrough allows researchers to reconstruct evolutionary relationships and diversifications with unprecedented precision.
Researchers discovered that the protein transport system in chloroplasts of higher plants evolved from a bacterial system, with Physcomitrella patens serving as an intermediate stage. The moss has both old and new components of the SRP system, guiding proteins to their place of work in the cell membrane.
Researchers have identified a gene that regulates chloroplast development through the ubiquitin-proteasome system, potentially unlocking control over fruit ripening in crops. The discovery may enable manipulation of chloroplast functions to improve crop yields and reduce food waste.
Research found that protein import into chloroplasts is differentially regulated by age, with some proteins targeting young or old chloroplasts. The discovery sheds light on the complex regulation mechanisms governing protein transport and has implications for therapeutic applications.