The Generation of Plastid Mutants In Vitro

The plastid genome (or “plastome”) encodes a number of proteins associated with the structure and function of chloroplasts, as well as tRNAs and rRNAs associated with the plastid translational machinery (1 ,2 ). Although there have been numerous studies on the genetics of algal chloroplasts, similar studies with higher plants have been hampered by the uniparental (maternal) pattern of transmission of chloroplasts observed in most species and also the shortage of suitable genetic markers (3 ).