Genes Under Control: Scientists Develop Gene Switch for Chloroplasts in Plant Cells

An article published on Science Daily shows that researchers found DNA, messenger RNA and ribosomes that make proteins, in the chloroplasts, a photosynthetic organs of plants. A scientist, named Max Planck experimented to control the formation of proteins in the chloroplasts. He used riboswitches on the chloroplasts of tobacoo plants to switch the genes on and off. “These riboswitches could provide future benefit by making plants capable of delivering drugs or raw materials, or by improving the biological safety of genetically modified plants” (Max Planck). To complete the experiment, Max Planck transformed the riboswitches and inserted it into the genetic material of chloroplast. A gene of chloroplast DNA was used and the riboswich was attached to it.



Tobacco plant cells under the fluorescent microscope: The cytoplasm appears in yellow, the chloroplasts in red. (Credit: Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam)

To read the information of RNA by riboswitch, a substance of tea plant called theophylline was attached to the riboswitch. Then, this theophylline riboswitch was sprayed on the tobacco plants which resulted in the formation of certain protein and without this spray, not protein was formed within the chloroplast. Max Planck experiment proved that genes on the DNA of chloroplast can turn on and off in the presence of theophylline riboswitch. According to the article, each cell of the tobacco plant has 100 chloroplasts which can make a lot more protein than the DNA in the cell nucleus. “… The Potsdam-based scientists modified the genes of the tobacco plant such that it was able to produce large quantities of an antibiotic in its leaves. So, by modifying the chloroplast with theophylline riboswitches can resulted in the formation of more protein than they had before, which could help in the production of drugs.