The role of metabolite transporters in integrating chloroplasts with the metabolic network of plant cells

Abstract

Chloroplasts are central nodes of the metabolic networks in photosynthetic cells. Metabolic pathways in chloroplasts are highly connected with pathways occurring in the surrounding cytosol and in other organelles. This requires massive flux of solutes across the chloroplast envelope membranes and hence a plethora of metabolite transport systems to facilitate this flux. During the evolution of chloroplasts from a cyanobacterial ancestor, most of these chloroplast envelope membrane transporters have been recruited from the preexisting repertoire of host transporters. We review the current state of knowledge on chloroplast metabolite transporters from an evolutionary perspective and we address the possible functions of apicoplast transporter systems in the Apicomplexa. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.