Genome sequencing of sequestered chloroplast by Plakobranchus ocellatus. Plakobranchus ocellatus strain:black

Some sacoglossan sea slugs sequester chloroplasts from the algal food in their cells and photosynthesize for up to several months; this temporary symbiosis is referred to as kleptoplasty. Protein synthesis in sequestered chloroplasts (kleptoplasts) has been reported in a sea slug species and has been assumed to be needed for maintaining photosynthetic activity. Although the kleptoplast gene complement has been predicted based on limited knowledge about the source algal chloroplast DNA, no whole kleptoplast genome sequences have been reported, and the mechanisms of the self-renewal capacity of kleptoplasts remain unclear. To revel the self-renewal capacity of, we revealed kleptoplast DNAs in the sea slug Plakobranchus ocellatus.

部分囊舌类海蛞蝓可从其摄食的藻类中摄取叶绿体并储存在自身细胞内，可持续进行光合作用长达数月；这种临时性共生关系被称为盗食质体（kleptoplasty）。目前已有研究在某海蛞蝓物种中检测到被摄取的叶绿体（即盗食质体，kleptoplasts）内存在蛋白质合成现象，且学界普遍认为该过程对维持光合活性不可或缺。尽管学界已基于对来源藻类叶绿体DNA的有限认知，对盗食质体的基因组成进行了预测，但目前尚未有完整盗食质体基因组序列的相关报道，盗食质体自我更新能力的具体机制仍未明确。为阐明盗食质体的自我更新能力，本研究对白斑海牛（Plakobranchus ocellatus）体内的盗食质体DNA进行了解析。