Function of the chloroplast

The chloroplast is essential for plants and close interactions with other parts of the cell are crucial for plant plasticity in a changing environment  

Photosynthesis leads to the inevitably production of reactive oxygen species - ROS. ROS has been reported to have signal function but their accumulation may also be very harmful for the cell. For these reasons all photosynthetic organisms have developed a wide range of mechanisms to avoid oxidative damage. A thorough understanding of the basic properties of scavenging systems is the prerequisite for a knowledge-based exploitation of ROS functions in plants.

 

NADPH-dependent thioredoxin reductase (NTRC) is an enzyme found in the chloroplast that within a single polypeptide chain contain the domains to act as a thioredoxin reductase system and NTRC might be important both for redox regulation of disulfide bridges and scavenging H₂O₂.

 

Chloroplast function also depends on proper expression of genes encoded by the chloroplast genome. Nuclear encoded proteins play an important role for this but so far most of these are unknown. We are currently characterizing two newly identified nuclear genes encoding proteins with essential functions in the chloroplast.