Fig. 1: Relocating nuclear genes to the plastome for improving plant disease resistance.
From: Homecoming: rewinding the reductive evolution of the chloroplast genome for increasing crop yields
a Pathogens deploy protein and small RNA (sRNA) effectors (in pink) into plant cells that disrupt chloroplastic functions. Effectors can alter the expression of nucleus-encoded chloroplast genes—NECGs (1 and 2), inhibit the delivery of host proteins to the chloroplast (3), or translocate into the chloroplast to interfere directly with its functioning (4). b The relocation of NECGs targeted by pathogens’ effectors from the nuclear genome to the plastome would render effectors acting via 1, 2, and 3 ineffective.
