Plastid survival in the cytosol of animal cells

Some marine slugs sequester plastids from their algae food, which can remain photosynthetically functional in the animalʹs digestive gland cells in the absence of algal nuclei. The sequestered plastids (kleptoplasts) appear to maintain functional photosystems through a greater autonomy than land plant plastids. If so, kleptoplast robustness is a plastid-intrinsic property, and it depends on the animal to manage an alien organelle on the loose in order to maintain it long term.