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Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Analysis of Protein Import into Chloroplasts Isolated from Stressed Plants
Published on: November 1, 2016
In vitro analysis of chloroplast protein import
Matthew D Smith1, Danny J Schnell, Lynda Fitzpatrick
1University of Massachussets, Amherst, Massachussets, USA.
Abstract:
This unit describes protocols for isolating chloroplasts from pea (Pisum sativum) and Arabidopsis thaliana for the study of nuclear-encoded plastid precursor proteins. Chloroplasts from both preparations are competent for the in vitro import of recombinant preproteins synthesized using in vitro translation systems derived from reticulocyte or wheat germ lysates. These assays can be used to test whether a particular protein is targeted to chloroplasts, for analyzing the suborganellar location of newly imported preproteins, or to study the mechanism of import itself.
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