Efficient growth and development are essential factors for plant productivity and they depend on a number of biotic
and abiotic factors. Calcium has long been acknowledged as one of the most important signalling components in
plants and is crucial for the activation of environmental stress responses as well as for developmental programs. A
large variety of metabolic processes essential for plant viability take place in chloroplasts. To ensure that the
biogenesis and function of this organelle is carefully balanced in accordance with requirements of the surrounding
cell, the organelle is tightly integrated into diverse regulatory networks. Several lines of evidence point to the
presence of calcium regulation in chloroplasts but the role of this ion in organellar functions is so far not very well
understood. Aim of this proposal is the identification and characterization of new calcium-regulated pathways in
chloroplasts and their impact on function and development of this organelle.