Ultrastructural Reorganization of Chloroplasts during Plant Adaptation to Abiotic Stress Factors

Abstract

This review presents a comparative analysis of the literature and the authors’ data on the ultrastructural reorganization of plant chloroplasts adapting to abiotic factors of different nature—low temperature (factor of a physical nature) and chloride salinity (factor of a chemical nature). All ultrastructural changes in chloroplasts are considered in close relationship to the physiological, biochemical, and functional adaptive changes of the photosynthetic apparatus (PSA). The review discusses the adaptive value and emphasizes the nonspecific nature of ultrastructural transformations occurring in plant chloroplasts under abiotic stress. A separate section considers the effect of metal nanoparticles on the PSA and the nanoparticle-aided modeling of the PSA responses to stresses.