Chloroplast capture


Chloroplast capture is an evolutionary process through which inter-species hybridization and subsequent backcrosses yield a plant with new genetic combination of nuclear and chloroplast genomes. For instance, 1) species A's pollen hybridizes to species B's ovule, yielding the 1st hybrid with chloroplast genome b and nuclear genome A and B species A's pollen again hybridizes to F1's ovule, yielding the 2nd hybrid with chloroplast genome b and nuclear genome A and B species A's pollen again hybridizes to F2's ovule, yielding the 3rd hybrid with chloroplast genome b and nuclear genome A and B after further backcross generations, a plant is obtained with the new genetic combination.

Known cases of chloroplast capture

Gymnosperm