Figure 1.

Evolution of the chloroplast division machinery. The division complex of algae and land plants include FtsZ and ARC 6, both of which are descended from the cell division machinery of cyanobacteria. DR P5B was added after endosymbiosis. PDV2 was acquired by a common ancestor of land plants. PDV1 and PARC 6 emerged by gene duplication of PDV2 and ARC 6, respectively, in a common ancestor of vascular plants (Ferns and seed plants). The site of the FtsZ ring formation is determined by the MinD and MinE proteins which are descended from cyanobacteria, the ARC 3 protein which is specific to green algae and land plants, and land-plant specific protein MCD1. The inset diagram shows the pathway of chloroplast division complex assembly in green algae and land plants.