The Cryptic Plastid of Euglena longa Defines a New Type of Nonphotosynthetic Plastid Organelle.

ABSTRACT: Most secondary nonphotosynthetic eukaryotes have retained residual plastids whose physiological role is often still unknown. One such example is Euglena longa, a close nonphotosynthetic relative of Euglena gracilis harboring a plastid organelle of enigmatic function. By mining transcriptome data from E. longa, we finally provide an overview of metabolic processes localized to its elusive plastid. The organelle plays no role in the biosynthesis of isoprenoid precursors and fatty acids and has a very limited repertoire of pathways concerning nitrogen-containing metabolites. In contrast, the synthesis of phospholipids and glycolipids has been preserved, curiously with the last step of sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol synthesis being catalyzed by the SqdX form of an enzyme so

SUBMITTER: Fussy Z 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7580956 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature