// P01A
Investigations into a new component of the plastid protein import machinery
Project Leader// Prof. Dr. Ingo Heilmann
Co-Project Leader (ext.)// Prof. Dr. Sacha Baginsky (RUB, Bochum)
Co-Supervisor// Dr. Birgit Agne (RUB, Bochum)
MLU, Inst. of Biochemistry and Biotechnology
Plant Biochemistry
The chloroplast is the organelle of plants, in which photosynthesis takes place. It contains thousands of different proteins, in order to be able to perform its diverse functions. Majority of chloroplastic proteins are nuclear encoded and synthesized in the cytosol. To post-translationally enter the stroma the proteins have to overcome the outer and inner envelope of the chloroplast.
The 1 MDa TIC (translocon of the inner chloroplast envelope membrane)-complex is a translocation complex in the inner envelope of the chloroplast. Previous studies identified proteins that are associated with the 1 MDa TIC complex. In a recent MS-analysis of the complex additional interacting proteins were discovered that are unknown so far (Schäfer et al., 2019).
The aim of this project will be to investigate a new component of the 1 MDa TIC complex, Grp23, which was identified in A. thaliana as a potential interaction partner of the 1 MDa TIC complex in the previous MS-based analysis. The protein has not yet been characterized and has an unknown function. Furthermore, a homolog of the protein exists that should be included in the investigations. Studies will be carried out on both genes in order to find out whether there is a connection to the plastid import machinery (TOC and TIC complex) and to explore their possible function in the plastid protein import.
