Chloroplastic isoforms of DnaJ and GrpE in pea

The folding and assembly of proteins in cells often requires the assistance of molecular chaperones such as the Hsp70 and Hsp60 heat shock proteins. Hsp70 chaperones cooperate with DnaJ and GrpE homologues to ensure a productive folding cycle. In this study we describe the gene for the first chloroplast localized DnaJ homologue and present evidence that the gene product is at least partially associated with the inner envelope membrane. Immunoblot analysis also provides evidence for the presence of a GrpE homologue in plastids.