Karyoklepty ( ) is a strategy for cellular evolution, whereby a predator

cell Cell most often refers to: * Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life * Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network * Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization * Electrochemical cell, a de ...

appropriates the

nucleus Nucleus (: nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucleu ...

of a cell from another organism to supplement its own biochemical capabilities. In the related process of

kleptoplasty Kleptoplasty or kleptoplastidy is a process in symbiosis, symbiotic relationships whereby plastids, notably chloroplasts from algae, are sequestered by the host. The word is derived from ''Kleptes'' (κλέπτης) which is Greek language, Greek ...

, the predator sequesters

plastid A plastid is a membrane-bound organelle found in the Cell (biology), cells of plants, algae, and some other eukaryotic organisms. Plastids are considered to be intracellular endosymbiotic cyanobacteria. Examples of plastids include chloroplasts ...

s (especially

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

s) from dietary

algae Algae ( , ; : alga ) is an informal term for any organisms of a large and diverse group of photosynthesis, photosynthetic organisms that are not plants, and includes species from multiple distinct clades. Such organisms range from unicellular ...

. The chloroplasts can still photosynthesize, but do not last long after the prey's cells are metabolised. If the predator can also sequester cell nuclei from the prey to encode proteins for the plastids, it can sustain them. ''Karyoklepty'' is this sequestration of nuclei; even after sequestration, the nuclei are still capable of transcription. Johnson et al. described and named karyoklepty in 2007 after observing it in the

ciliate The ciliates are a group of alveolates characterized by the presence of hair-like organelles called cilia, which are identical in structure to flagellum, eukaryotic flagella, but are in general shorter and present in much larger numbers, with a ...

species ''

Mesodinium rubrum ''Mesodinium rubrum'' (or ''Myrionecta rubra'') is a species of ciliates. It constitutes a plankton community and is found throughout the year, most abundantly in spring and fall, in coastal areas. Although discovered in 1908, its scientific im ...

''. ''Karyoklepty'' is a Greek compound of the words ''karydi'' ("kernel") and ''kleftis'' ("thief").

See also

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Further reading