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Chloroplast Protein Quality Control

Protein quality control (PQC) systems are formed by chaperones and proteases that together regulate the correct folding and activity of proteins in every compartment of the cell, including chloroplasts. Misfolded or aggregated proteins are either recycled by chaperones (such as DNAJ and HSP70) or degraded by proteases (such as CLP) in chloroplasts. In our group we aim to elucidate and engineer the molecular machinery that protect proteins in chloroplasts allowing plants to cope with adverse environmental conditions such as high temperature or drought. These abiotic stresses are the leading cause of yield loss in crops in the current context of climate change.