Biogenesis and evolution of photosynthetic (thylakoid) membranes

Work in molecular phylogeny during the past few years has documented that t he biogenesis, maintenance, adaptation, and controlled resorption of thylak oid (photosynthetic) membranes are by far more complex than the requirement s for maintaining their function, especially in plants (eukaryotic photoaut otrophs). Plants, due to their genome compartmentation that originated in a cohabitation of cells (endosymbiotic events), have evolved an exquisite se t of regulatory mechanisms for their energy-transducing organelles. These o perate in concert with basically ancient regulatory circuits originating in the organelle ancestors. It appears that the biogenesis of thylakoid membr anes, as that of chloroplasts in general, cannot be understood without know ledge of the history of the cells.