Control of chloroplast degradation and cell death in response to stress

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

46 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chloroplasts are the sites of photosynthesis in plants and algae and, by extension, are essential for most life on Earth. Their maintenance is costly and complex due to the inherent photo-oxidative damage incurred by photosynthetic chemistry. Chloroplast degradation and cell death are mechanisms by which plants acclimate to such stress and serve a dual purpose: protecting cells and organs by removing reactive oxygen species–producing chloroplasts and redistributing nutrients to other tissues. Here I review recent progress in understanding the molecular mechanisms initiating and facilitating such degradation and show these are complex processes involving multiple pathways. Due to the links to photosynthesis and nitrogen metabolism, there is great potential to manipulate these pathways to increase crop yield and quality under stressful environments.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)851-864
Number of pages14
JournalTrends in Biochemical Sciences
Volume47
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2022

Keywords

  • autophagy
  • photosynthesis
  • plants
  • reactive oxygen species
  • singlet oxygen
  • ubiquitination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology

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