Departamento de Biología Molecular de Plantas, Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Cuernavaca 62210, México.
J Exp Bot. 2023 Apr 18;74(8):2508-2526. doi: 10.1093/jxb/erad044.
Plastids are a group of essential, heterogenous semi-autonomous organelles characteristic of plants that perform photosynthesis and a diversity of metabolic pathways that impact growth and development. Plastids are remarkably dynamic and can interconvert in response to specific developmental and environmental cues, functioning as a central metabolic hub in plant cells. By far the best studied plastid is the chloroplast, but in recent years the combination of modern techniques and genetic analyses has expanded our current understanding of plastid morphological and functional diversity in both model and non-model plants. These studies have provided evidence of an unexpected diversity of plastid subtypes with specific characteristics. In this review, we describe recent findings that provide insights into the characteristics of these specialized plastids and their functions. We concentrate on the emerging evidence that supports the model that signals derived from particular plastid types play pivotal roles in plant development, environmental, and defense responses. Furthermore, we provide examples of how new technologies are illuminating the functions of these specialized plastids and the overall complexity of their differentiation processes. Finally, we discuss future research directions such as the use of ectopic plastid differentiation as a valuable tool to characterize factors involved in plastid differentiation. Collectively, we highlight important advances in the field that can also impact future agricultural and biotechnological improvement in plants.
质体是一组必需的、异质的半自主细胞器，是植物特有的，能够进行光合作用和多种代谢途径，这些途径影响生长和发育。质体具有显著的动态性，可以响应特定的发育和环境信号进行转化，在植物细胞中充当中央代谢枢纽。到目前为止，研究得最好的质体是叶绿体，但近年来，现代技术和遗传分析的结合扩展了我们目前对模型和非模型植物中质体形态和功能多样性的理解。这些研究提供了证据，证明了具有特定特征的质体亚型具有出乎意料的多样性。在这篇综述中，我们描述了最近的发现，这些发现为深入了解这些特化质体的特征及其功能提供了线索。我们集中讨论了新兴的证据，该证据支持了这样一种模式，即特定质体类型衍生的信号在植物发育、环境和防御反应中起着关键作用。此外，我们还提供了一些例子，说明了新技术如何揭示这些特化质体的功能以及它们分化过程的整体复杂性。最后，我们讨论了未来的研究方向，例如利用质体异位分化作为一种有价值的工具来表征参与质体分化的因素。总的来说，我们强调了该领域的重要进展，这些进展也可能影响未来植物的农业和生物技术改良。
