Chloroplast biogenesis and differentiation in C4 plants. Plastids differentiate into photosynthetic chloroplasts and several types of non-photosynthetic plastids (e.g. starch filled amyloplasts, carotenoid-rich chromoplasts) in dependence of the cell type. We are interested to study this plastid differentiation process and its relationship to cell-type. Chloroplasts in bundle sheath and mesophyll cells of C4 plants show major functional differences and are the focus of intense investigation. Read more about our published work on C4 leaf development and differentiation in maize here Friso et al 2010, Majeran et al 2010.
