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Related Concept Videos

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts01:08

The Anatomy of Chloroplasts

Green algae and plants, including green stems and unripe fruit, harbor specialized organelles called chloroplasts to carry out photosynthesis. They coordinate both stages of photosynthesis — the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reactions use sunlight to release oxygen and produce chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, and the light-independent reactions capture CO2 and use ATP and NADPH to produce sugar.
Structure of Chloroplasts
A...
Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes02:16

Comparing Mitochondrial, Chloroplast, and Prokaryotic Genomes

The present-day mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes have retained some of the characteristics of their ancestral prokaryotes and also have acquired new attributes during their evolution within eukaryotic cells. Like prokaryotic genomes, mitochondrial and chloroplast genomes neither bind with histone-like proteins nor show complex packaging into chromosome-like structures, as observed in eukaryotes. Unlike mitotic cell divisions observed in eukaryotic cells, mitochondria and chloroplasts...
Non-nuclear Inheritance01:29

Non-nuclear Inheritance

Most DNA resides in the nucleus of a cell. However, some organelles in the cell cytoplasm⁠—such as chloroplasts and mitochondria⁠—also have their own DNA. These organelles replicate their DNA independently of the nuclear DNA of the cell in which they reside. Non-nuclear inheritance describes the inheritance of genes from structures other than the nucleus.
Eukaryotic Evolution01:24

Eukaryotic Evolution

The endosymbiont theory is the most widely accepted theory of eukaryotic evolution; however, its progression is still somewhat debated. According to the nucleus-first hypothesis, the ancestral prokaryote first evolved a membrane to enclose DNA and form the nucleus. Conversely, the mitochondria-first hypothesis suggests that the nucleus was formed after endosymbiosis of mitochondria.
Contrary to the endosymbiont theory, the eukaryote-first hypothesis proposes that the simpler prokaryotic and...
Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes02:19

Export of Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Genes

A eukaryotic cell can have up to three different types of genetic systems: nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplast. During evolution, organelles have exported many genes to the nucleus; this transfer is still ongoing in some plant species. Approximately 18% of the Arabidopsis thaliana nuclear genome is thought to be derived from the chloroplast’s cyanobacterial ancestor, and around 75% of the yeast genome derived from the mitochondria’s bacterial ancestor. This export has occurred irrespective...
Protein Transport to the Outer Chloroplast Membrane01:11

Protein Transport to the Outer Chloroplast Membrane

Chloroplast outer membrane proteins encoded by the nucleus are synthesized in the cytosol. Soon after synthesis, they bind cytosolic factors such as 14-3-3 protein and the Hsp70 chaperones that keep these precursors in an unfolded state until their translocation.
Two models describe the mechanism of precursor recognition and entry across the outer membrane through the TOC complex. Model 1 suggests the newly synthesized precursor binds to the TOC receptor 159 and forms a complex.

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Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Plastoglobule Lipid Droplet Isolation from Plant Leaf Tissue and Cyanobacteria
10:35

Plastoglobule Lipid Droplet Isolation from Plant Leaf Tissue and Cyanobacteria

Published on: October 6, 2022

Plastid origins.

C J Howe1, T J Beanland, A W Larkum

  • 1Christopher Howe and Timothy Beanland are at the Dept of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge, Tennis Court Road, Cambridge,UK CB2 IQW.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|January 18, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The origin of plastids in plants and algae is debated, with evidence suggesting multiple independent endosymbiotic events rather than a single origin. Photosynthetic prokaryote and eukaryote uptake has occurred repeatedly throughout evolution.

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Plastoglobule Lipid Droplet Isolation from Plant Leaf Tissue and Cyanobacteria
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Studying Protein Import into Chloroplasts Using Protoplasts

Published on: December 10, 2018

Area of Science:

  • * Evolutionary biology
  • * Cell biology
  • * Genetics

Background:

  • * The evolutionary origin of plastids, the organelles responsible for photosynthesis in plants and algae, remains a subject of scientific debate.
  • * Current hypotheses propose either a single primary endosymbiotic event or multiple independent events leading to the diversity of plastids observed in green plants, red algae (rhodophytes), and other algal groups (chromophytes).

Purpose of the Study:

  • * To investigate the evolutionary history of plastids and resolve the controversy surrounding their origin.
  • * To evaluate the contribution of genetic data to understanding primary endosymbiosis events.

Main Methods:

  • * Analysis of DNA sequences from plastid genes.
  • * Application of phylogenetic inference techniques to reconstruct evolutionary relationships.

Main Results:

  • * While definitive conclusions are currently limited by phylogenetic methods, the study highlights the frequent occurrence of endosymbiotic events.
  • * The data suggests that the uptake of photosynthetic prokaryotes or eukaryotes by host cells has not been a unique occurrence in evolutionary history.

Conclusions:

  • * The endosymbiotic origin of plastids is a complex process with evidence pointing towards multiple independent events.
  • * Further advancements in phylogenetic inference are needed to fully elucidate the evolutionary pathways of plastid diversity.