The Arabidopsis chloroplast ribosomal protein L21 is encoded by a nuclear gene of mitochondrial origin
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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Analysis of Protein Import into Chloroplasts Isolated from Stressed Plants
Published on: November 1, 2016
J L Gallois1, P Achard, G Green
1Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire des Plantes, Université J. Fourier and Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France.
Abstract:
Many chloroplast genes of cyanobacterial origin have been transferred to the nucleus during evolution and their products are re-addressed to chloroplasts. The RPL21 gene encoding the plastid r-protein L21 has been lost in higher plant chloroplast genomes after the divergence from bryophytes. Based on phylogenetic analysis and intron conservation, we now provide evidence that in Arabidopsis a nuclear RPL21c gene of mitochondrial origin has replaced the chloroplast gene. The control of expression of this gene has been adapted to the needs of chloroplast development by the acquisition of plastid-specific regulatory promoter cis-elements.
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