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Temporal and spatial coordination of cells with their plastid component
1Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, and Biochemistry, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.
International Review of Cytology
|September 24, 1999
Summary
Cell division requires coordinated plastid multiplication and partitioning. Basic control mechanisms, possibly shared with nuclear ploidy, ensure plastid presence without internal protein synthesis, with additional layers regulating growth.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Photosynthesis Research
- Evolutionary Biology
Background:
- Plastids are essential organelles in photosynthetic organisms.
- Maintaining plastid presence requires coordination with cell division.
- Known cell cycle control points for plastid division are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review properties of plastids and plastid DNA across different cell types and evolutionary lines.
- To identify potential control mechanisms coordinating plastid and cell division.
- To compare plastid and mitochondrion control systems.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on plastid and plastid DNA properties.
- Comparative analysis of plastid behavior in germline, multiplying, and mature cells.
- Comparison of plastid and mitochondrial properties.
Main Results:
- A basic level of control for plastid presence is suggested, potentially linked to nuclear ploidy.
- Plastid protein synthesis is not essential for maintaining plastid presence.
- A secondary control system regulates plastid size and number based on differentiation and environmental signals.
Conclusions:
- Cellular control mechanisms for plastid division are likely conserved.
- Further research using genomics and molecular techniques can identify the players involved in these control systems.
- Understanding plastid-cell cycle coordination is crucial for photosynthesis research.