VIPP1 evolved before modern photosynthetic membranes, study finds
University-distributed article dated October 24, 2026; original release October 23; paper published October 5.
IllustrationOkayama University highlighted research on October 24 suggesting that VIPP1, a protein protecting photosynthetic membranes, existed before modern thylakoid membranes developed.
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University-distributed article dated October 24, 2026; original release October 23; paper published October 5.
A protein supporting photosynthesis
Thylakoid membranes house essential photosynthetic machinery. VIPP1 helps form, maintain and remodel these membranes. Researchers at Okayama University and National Taiwan University compared VIPP1 with its ancestral relative PspA across cyanobacterial lineages, many of which retain both proteins.
Repeated retention across different evolutionary paths
The study found PspA was lost while VIPP1 remained during chloroplast evolution and genome reduction in marine cyanobacteria. Why VIPP1 was retained remains a research question. The work informs photosynthetic evolution; it does not announce a finished crop-yield technology or commercial product.
Sources & further reading
Our own summary based on the public information below.
- 岡山大学：VIPP1の進化に関する研究紹介（PR TIMES配信） ↗Source publication date: 2026-10-24
- 岡山大学：研究発表資料 ↗Source publication date: 2026-10-23
- 研究論文：Plant and Cell Physiology ↗Source publication date: 2026-10-05
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