Evidence that the plastid translocon Tic40 components possess modulating capabilities.

The transport of proteins into the plastid is a process that faces changing cellular needs such as the situation found in different plant organs or developing tissues. The plastid translocon must therefore be responsive to the changing cell environment to deliver efficiently different arrays of structurally diverse proteins. Although the Tic40-related envelope proteins appear to be translocon components designed to address the varying needs of protein translocation, details of their involvement remain elusive.