Science, Space and Technology News 2024
New research reveals the atomic secrets of photosynthesis, providing insights into the complex process of chloroplast RNA polymerase transcription. This advancement holds promise for improving crop resilience and understanding plant growth mechanisms. Credit: SciTechDaily.comhave been unveiled at the atomic level, providing significant new insights into this plant super-power that transformed the Earth into a green landscape over a billion years ago.
Photosynthesis takes place inside chloroplasts, small compartments within plant cells that contain their own genome, reflecting their past as free-living photosynthetic bacteria before they were engulfed and co-opted by plants. It was discovered 50 years ago that chloroplasts contain their own unique RNA polymerase. Since then, scientists have been surprised by how complex this enzyme is. It has more subunits than its ancestor, the bacterial RNA polymerase, and is even bigger than human RNA polymerases.
The RNA polymerase complex comprises 21 subunits encoded in the two genomes, nuclear and chloroplast. Close analysis of this structure, as it performs transcription, allowed the researchers to start explaining these components’ functions.as it is being transcribed and guides it to the enzyme’s active site.
Joint first author Dr Ángel Vergara-Cruces said: “Now that we have a structural model the next step is to confirm the role of the chloroplast transcription proteins. By revealing mechanisms of chloroplast transcription, our study offers insight into its role in plant growth and adaptation and response to environmental conditions.”
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