Containing plastids and vacuoles in addition to those organelles also found in other (heterotrophic) cells, the plant cell displays an extraordinary level of compartmentalization, largely obtained by the utilization of membranes. These membranes not only confine reaction spaces but must also facilitate cross-talk between organelles and other cell compartments. They also host important components of the plant energy metabolism, i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe succinate dehydrogenase complex (complex II) is a highly conserved protein complex composed of the SDH1 to SDH4 subunits in bacteria and in the mitochondria of animals and fungi. The reason for the occurrence of up to four additional subunits in complex II of plants, termed SDH5 to SDH8, so far is a mystery. Here, we present a biochemical approach to investigate the internal subunit arrangement of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) complex II.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRAC/ROP proteins (ρ-related GTPases of plants) are plant-specific small G proteins that function as molecular switches within elementary signal transduction pathways, including the regulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation during early microbial infection via the activation of NADPH oxidase homologs of plants termed RBOH (for respiratory burst oxidase homolog). We investigated the role of Medicago truncatula Jemalong A17 small GTPase MtROP9, orthologous to Medicago sativa Rac1, via an RNA interference silencing approach. Composite M.
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