Award details

Evolution of chloroplast development

Reference	BB/C500879/1
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Jane Langdale
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	University of Oxford
Department	Plant Sciences
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	253,737
Status	Completed
Type	Research Grant
Start date	01/10/2004
End date	30/09/2007
Duration	36 months

Abstract

Chloroplasts originated from a single endosymbiotic event in which a photosynthetic cyanbacterium was sequestered by a eukaryotic host. This even gave rise to the plastids of land plants and of the three algal groups chlorophyta, rhodophyta and glaucocystophyta. Following endosymbiosis, the transfer of genes from the plastid to the host cell nucleus necessitated the coordinated regulation of gene expression between to two organelles. In at least three groups of angiosperms, a pair of nuclear genes Golden2-like (GLK) has been shown to regulate aspects of plastid development. In the absence of GLK gene function chloroplast development is perturbed; plastids are small, thylakoids are rudimentary and photosynthetic efficiency is reduced. In this proposal, we aim to investigate the evolution GLK gene function using diverse land plants and algal sister groups. This work will elucidate whether GLK genes are fundamentally required for plastid development. In addition, this proposal aims to determine how GLK function in Arabidopsis is integrated with plastid-nucleus signalling mechanisms and with other pathways known to influence chloroplast development. Namely, the light signal transduction pathway and the cytokinin signalling pathway. By addressing these aims, we will determine the role of GLK genes in chloroplast evolution and will elucidate how GLK gene function is integrated in the context of whole plant physiology.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Genes & Developmental Biology (GDB)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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