Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026

Isolation and Fluorescence Imaging for Single-particle Reconstruction of Chlamydomonas Centrioles
Published on: September 21, 2018
CurT/CURT1 proteins are involved in cell and chloroplast division coordination of cyanobacteria and green algae
Marcel Dann1,2,3, Eunchul Kim4,5, Konomi Fujimura-Kamada6
1Bio-Inspired Energy Conversion, Technical University of Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany. marcel.dann@tu-darmstadt.de.
Abstract:
Plant proteins of the CURVATURE THYLAKOID 1 (CURT1) family and their prokaryotic CurT homologues are key determinants of the three-dimensional structure of the thylakoid membrane systems in chloroplasts and cyanobacteria. As the evolutionary origin of the CURT1/CurT family appears to coincide with the evolution of thylakoids themselves, shaping the thylakoid system has widely been regarded as their primary role. In this study we present strong evidence that CurT, beyond regulation of thylakoid architecture, is involved in cell division and thylakoid fission/partitioning in both Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942, likely through physical interaction with the key cell division protein FtsZ. Similarly, triple mutants of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii CURT1A, B, and C display an asymmetric chloroplast division phenotype, thus suggesting an evolutionary conserved functionality of CurT/CURT1 in cell/chloroplast division in single-celled oxygenic photosynthesizers.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Protein Transport to the Inner Chloroplast Membrane
The Anatomy of Chloroplasts
Structure of...
Protein Transport to the Stroma
Protein complexes called the translocon of the outer chloroplast membrane or TOC complex, and the translocon of the inner chloroplast membrane or TIC complex mediate the...
Bacterial Phylum Cyanobacteria
Protein Transport to the Outer Chloroplast Membrane
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.
Cytoskeletal Proteins in Bacteria

