Researchers from the University of Oxford have discovered CHLORAD, a new
biochemical pathway in plants which helps regulate chloroplasts.
Chloroplasts are organelles that define plants and are responsible for
photosynthesis.

Chloroplasts are composed of thousands of different proteins, most of which
are made in the cell and imported by the organelle. These proteins must all
be very carefully regulated to ensure that the organelle keeps functioning
properly. The CHLORAD pathway works by removing and disposing of unnecessary
or damaged chloroplast proteins; hence the name CHLORAD, which stands for
"chloroplast-associated protein degradation".

Peter Burlinson, Frontier Bioscience Lead at the Biotechnology and
Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) said that the discovery of the
CHLORAD pathway is a good example of how insights from fundamental plant
biology research can reveal potential new strategies to develop crops that
are more productive and resilient.

[www.oxfordsparks.ox.ac.uk]
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