Chloroplast omics

Abstract

The chloroplast is the most remarkable organelle of plant cells; it is the site of a myriad of different chemical reactions; among chloroplast’s many functionalities is photosynthesis, perhaps the most fundamental biological process on the biosphere. The chloroplast has been subject of a plethora of research efforts that try to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate its biochemical capabilities, development, and evolutionary origin. Omic technologies have provided researchers with tools to study different aspects of biology from a global perspective, and, not surprisingly, chloroplast research has taken advantage of them. This chapter explores how chloroplasts organize their genomes and regulate their transcriptomes, proteomes, and metabolomes, trying to focus on classical knowledge and reviewing new datasets obtained through large-scale research projects that shed light on chloroplast functionality.