Chloroplast proteomics: Potentials and challenges

Climate change resulting in increasing global warming and unpredictable rain patterns highlights the development of climate resilient crops. Chloroplasts are vital organelles in plant cells responsible for photosynthesis, the process by which light energy is converted into chemical energy. Understanding the proteome of chloroplasts is crucial for understanding the complex mechanisms and delicacies of signalling molecules inside the plant cell and is also vital for the development of climate smart crops with higher photosynthetic efficiency. Since plastid differentiation and specialisation is regulated by developmental and environmental signals, research in this field with the help of omics technologies can also provide information that helps us improve the stress tolerance in plants. Chloroplast proteomics, the large-scale study of chloroplast proteins, has the potential to significantly advance our knowledge of plant biology and improve agricultural practices. A review of the chloroplast proteomics, along with its potentials and challenges is presented in this paper.