... chloroplasts from their algal food sources in a process called functional kleptoplasty ( Rumpho et al., 2010 ). These kleptoplasts are stored intracellularly in the digestive gland, a highly branched organ that radiates throughout the animal's body, and replaced periodically by fresh chloroplasts as long...

... photoprotective mechanisms mitigate light-induced oxidative stress in the sea slug Elysia timida and may play an important role in the establishment of long-term choloroplast symbiosis. Kleptoplasty Light stress Photobehaviour Photoprotection Photoinactivation Violaxanthin cycle Kleptoplasty...

...Paulo Cartaxana; Luca Morelli; Carla Quintaneiro; Gonçalo Calado; Ricardo Calado; Sónia Cruz ABSTRACT Some sacoglossan sea slugs incorporate intracellular functional algal chloroplasts (kleptoplasty) for periods ranging from a few days to several months. Whether this association modulates...