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Chloroplast ultrastructure in plants
Author(s) -
Kirchhoff Helmut
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.15730
Subject(s) - chloroplast , organelle , thylakoid , ultrastructure , structural plasticity , biology , function (biology) , form and function , astrobiology , biophysics , microbiology and biotechnology , botany , evolutionary biology , neuroscience , biochemistry , gene
Summary The chloroplast organelle in mesophyll cells of higher plants represents a sunlight‐driven metabolic factory that eventually fuels life on our planet. Knowledge of the ultrastructure and the dynamics of this unique organelle is essential to understanding its function in an ever‐changing and challenging environment. Recent technological developments promise unprecedented insights into chloroplast architecture and its functionality. The review highlights these new methodical approaches and provides structural models based on recent findings about the plasticity of the thylakoid membrane system in response to different light regimes. Furthermore, the potential role of the lipid droplets plastoglobuli is discussed. It is emphasized that detailed structural insights are necessary on different levels ranging from molecules to entire membrane systems for a holistic understanding of chloroplast function.