9600532 Brusslan Undifferentiated cells of the plant meristem contain proplastids. When leaf development is initiated, proplastids develop into chloroplasts, the site of photosynthesis and carbon fixation. Although numerous mutations that alter the chloroplast have been isolated from a large number of plant species, none so far have led to a clear understanding of the molecular events involved in chloroplast development. Arabidopsis thaliana offers an opportunity to understand this process because genes identified by mutation can be cloned. Virescent mutants that display a delay in greening and hence a delay in chloroplast development, have been isolated in the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. The goal of this research is to characterize these mutants biochemically and genetically in order to determine which mutants are likely to be defective in the signal transduction pathways that regulate chlorplast development. A second goal is to analyze the pigments and proteins of the light harvesting complexes (LHCs) of all mutants, regulatory or non-regulatory. The assembly of the LHCs has not been regorously investigated on a genetic level in higher plants. Chloroplasts are essential for life on earth because photosynthesis produces oxygen and consumes carbon dioxide. A clear understanding of the development of the organelle that performs this important function is important for agriculatural and global warming research.
