Protocol for evaluating protein relocalization from the plasma membrane to chloroplasts
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Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Studying Protein Import into Chloroplasts Using Protoplasts
Published on: December 10, 2018
Laura Medina-Puche1,2, Chanhong Kim1, Rosa Lozano-Duran1,2
1Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 201602, China.
Abstract:
We present a protocol for analyzing and evaluating the relocalization of proteins from the plasma membrane to chloroplasts. Some plant membrane-bound proteins carry dual targeting signals, e.g., a membrane-anchoring N-myristoylation motif and a chloroplast transit peptide. These proteins are predominantly targeted to membranes; upon certain cues, however, they can undergo detachment from membranes and relocalization to chloroplasts. This protocol combines imaging and biochemical analyses to track in a reliable and quantitative manner the relocalization of proteins between subcellular organelles. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Medina-Puche et al. (2020).
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