Karyoklepty

Karyoklepty is a strategy for cellular evolution, whereby a "predator" cell appropriates the nucleus of a cell from another organism in order to supplement its own biochemical capabilities.[1]

In the related process of kleptoplasty, an organism sequesters plastids (especially chloroplasts) from dietary algae. The chloroplasts can still photosynthesize, but they don't last long after the prey's cells are metabolised. If the organism can also sequester cell nuclei to code proteins for the plastids, it can sustain them. Karyoklepty is this sequestration of nuclei; even after sequestration, the nuclei are still capable of transcription.

Johnson et al. (2007), who described and named karyoklepty, first observed it in the ciliate species Myrionecta rubra.[1]

Karyoklepty is a Greek compound of the words karydi ("kernel") and kleftis ("thief").[1]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Johnson, Matthew D.; Oldach, David; et al. (25 January 2007). "Retention of transcriptionally active cryptophyte nuclei by the ciliate Myrionecta rubra". Nature (Nature Publishing Group) 445 (7126): 426–428. doi:10.1038/nature05496. PMID 17251979. Retrieved 4 February 2015.

Further reading

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