Endosymbiotic DNA transfer

细胞器间DNA运动是进化的主要力量。在高等生物中，线粒体和叶绿体的原核祖先向细胞核捐赠了许多基因。植物在研究驱动基因组进化的机制方面具有独特的潜力。我们通过实验证实了DNA从叶绿体到细胞核的高频运动，这为我们在这一科学新领域提供了世界领先地位。基因的重新定位决定了基因的数量和多样性以及基因的功能。转基因作物利用叶绿体来制造高水平的蛋白质，这就需要充分了解转基因在细胞内和外部环境中的行为。

Interorganellar DNA movement is a major force in evolution. In higher organisms, the prokaryotic ancestors of mitochondria and chloroplasts donated many genes to the nucleus. Plants have unique potential in studies of the mechanisms that have driven genome evolution. We established experimentally that DNA moves from the chloroplast to the nucleus at high frequency and this provided us with a world lead in this scientifically new area. The relocated genes contribute to the number and diversity of genes and gene function. Genetically manipulated (GM) crops use the chloroplast compartment to make high levels of protein, necessitating a full understanding of how transgenes behave within the cellular and the external environment.