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Updated: Mar 21, 2026

Studying Protein Import into Chloroplasts Using Protoplasts
Published on: December 10, 2018
Once upon a Time - Chloroplast Protein Import Research from Infancy to Future Challenges
1Department Biologie I-Botanik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Großhaderner Straße 2-4, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany; Munich Center for Integrated Protein Science CiPSM, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Feodor-Lynen-Strasse 25, 81377 Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
Protein import into chloroplasts has been a focus of research for several decades. The first publications dealing with this fascinating topic appeared in the 1970s. From the initial realization that many plastid proteins are being encoded for in the nucleus and require transport into their target organelle to the identification of import components in the cytosol, chloroplast envelopes, and stroma, as well as elucidation of some mechanistic details, more fascinating aspects are still being unraveled. With this overview, we present a survey of the beginnings of chloroplast protein import research, the first steps on this winding road, and end with a glimpse into the future.
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