The Dark Side of the Chloroplast: Biogenesis, Metabolism and Membrane Biology of the Apicoplast

Abstract

Members of the phylum Apicomplexa contain plastids, termed apicoplasts, that were derived by secondary endosymbiosis. Unlike most of their sun-loving cousins, apicomplexans are parasites that live in the dark recesses of the animal hosts they infect. As a consequence, apicoplasts are not photosynthetic, but nevertheless carry out essential metabolic processes. In this chapter, we examine the evolution, biogenesis and functions of the apicoplast. In particular, we focus on the biology of the membranes that surround this organelle, which play key roles in the biogenesis of the organelle, and link the metabolic functions of the apicoplast with the rest of the cell.