Figure 2.

Schematic drawing of SVR4/SVR4-like functioning as putative chaperones for ptNAPs during chloroplast development. (A) The spatial arrangement of plastid nucleoids dynamically changes in close relationship with the development of the inner membrane system of the plastids. During chloroplast development the nucleoids decrease in size but increase in number. The segregation process is thought to take place on the envelope membrane and eventually distribute to the thylakoids. (B) During the assembly of DNA-protein complexes in the developing chloroplast, there is a high risk of random aggregation due to the fact that very strong interaction occurs between oppositely charged molecular species, i.e., negatively charged DNA and positively charged structural proteins. The negatively charged proteins SVR4 and SVR4-like, transiently interact with positively charged DNA binding proteins, supporting essential DNA transaction processes in chloroplasts.