Chloroplasts: Structure and Expression of the Plastid Genome

Resumo

During the last two decades much success in studying plastid genome structure and expression was achieved. The primary sequence of hundreds of plant plastid genomes has been determined, which allows us to understand basic laws of plastome structure. Novel chloroplast nuclear-encoded RNA-polymerases and sigma-factors have been discovered. Mechanisms responsible for posttranscriptional regulation of plastid genes' expression, including splicing and editing, are actively being studied. Increasingly more data on the most important role of nucleoids in chloroplast biogenesis is emerging. Much attention is presently given to studying the proteins associated with bacterial type RNA-polymerase. Determination of the primary sequence of genomes for a number of higher plants has produced new information on the exchange of genetic material between cell organelles. At present, interorganelle signaling in plant cells is a subject of active study. In the review, a wide range of issues is quite briefly discussed, including some elements of chloroplast evolution and nuclear-plastid signaling. Certain features of chloroplast genetic material organization are described. In addition, basic stages of plastid genome expression are discussed.