Genetic autonomy and low singlet oxygen yield support kleptoplast functionality in photosynthetic sea slugs.

ABSTRACT: The kleptoplastic sea slug Elysia chlorotica consumes Vaucheria litorea, stealing its plastids, which then photosynthesize inside the animal cells for months. We investigated the properties of V. litorea plastids to understand how they withstand the rigors of photosynthesis in isolation. Transcription of specific genes in laboratory-isolated V. litorea plastids was monitored for 7 days. The involvement of plastid-encoded FtsH, a key plastid maintenance protease, in recovery from photoinhibition in V. litorea was estimated in cycloheximide-treated cells. In vitro comparison of V. litorea and spinach thylakoids was applied to investigate reactive oxygen species formation in V. litorea. In comparison to other tested genes, the transcripts of ftsH and translation elongation factor EF-Tu (tufA)

SUBMITTER: Havurinne V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8318255 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature