501
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Schuler ML, Mantegazza O, Weber APM. Engineering C4 photosynthesis into C3 chassis in the synthetic biology age. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 87:51-65. [PMID: 26945781 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthetic plants outperform C3 plants in hot and arid climates. By concentrating carbon dioxide around Rubisco C4 plants drastically reduce photorespiration. The frequency with which plants evolved C4 photosynthesis independently challenges researchers to unravel the genetic mechanisms underlying this convergent evolutionary switch. The conversion of C3 crops, such as rice, towards C4 photosynthesis is a long-standing goal. Nevertheless, at the present time, in the age of synthetic biology, this still remains a monumental task, partially because the C4 carbon-concentrating biochemical cycle spans two cell types and thus requires specialized anatomy. Here we review the advances in understanding the molecular basis and the evolution of the C4 trait, advances in the last decades that were driven by systems biology methods. In this review we emphasise essential genetic engineering tools needed to translate our theoretical knowledge into engineering approaches. With our current molecular understanding of the biochemical C4 pathway, we propose a simplified rational engineering model exclusively built with known C4 metabolic components. Moreover, we discuss an alternative approach to the progressing international engineering attempts that would combine targeted mutagenesis and directed evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara L Schuler
- Institute for Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Otho Mantegazza
- Institute for Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute for Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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502
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Berry JO, Mure CM, Yerramsetty P. Regulation of Rubisco gene expression in C4 plants. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 31:23-28. [PMID: 27026038 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate-carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) incorporates inorganic carbon into an organic form, making this chloroplastic enzyme one of the most essential factors for all life on earth. Despite its central role in photosynthesis, research into regulation of the chloroplast rbcL and nuclear RbcS genes that encode this enzyme has lagged behind other plant gene systems. A major characteristic of kranz-type C4 plants is the accumulation of Rubisco only within chloroplasts of internalized bundle sheath cells that surround the leaf vascular centers. In plants that utilize the less common single cell C4 system, Rubisco accumulates only within one type of dimorphic chloroplasts localized to a specific region of leaf chlorenchyma cells. Understanding regulatory processes that restrict Rubisco gene expression to only one cell type or chloroplast type is a major focus of C4 research. Regulatory steps may include transcriptional, post-transcriptional, and post-translational processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- James O Berry
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14120, United States.
| | - Christopher M Mure
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14120, United States
| | - Pradeep Yerramsetty
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14120, United States
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503
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Schulze S, Westhoff P, Gowik U. Glycine decarboxylase in C3, C4 and C3-C4 intermediate species. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 31:29-35. [PMID: 27038285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2016.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/16/2016] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) plays a central role in photorespiration. GDC is localized in the mitochondria and together with serine hydroxymethyltransferase it converts two molecules of glycine to one molecule of serine, CO2 and NH3. Overexpression of GDC subunits in the C3 species Arabidopsis thaliana can increase the metabolic flux through the photorespiratory pathway leading to enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and consequently to an enhanced biomass production of the transgenic plants. Changing the spatial expression patterns of GDC subunits was an important step during the evolution of C3-C4 intermediate and likely also C4 plants. Restriction of the GDC activity to the bundle sheath cells led to the establishment of a photorespiratory CO2 pump.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Schulze
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Peter Westhoff
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences 'From Complex Traits towards Synthetic Modules', 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
| | - Udo Gowik
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
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504
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Betti M, Bauwe H, Busch FA, Fernie AR, Keech O, Levey M, Ort DR, Parry MAJ, Sage R, Timm S, Walker B, Weber APM. Manipulating photorespiration to increase plant productivity: recent advances and perspectives for crop improvement. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2977-88. [PMID: 26951371 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Recycling of the 2-phosphoglycolate generated by the oxygenase reaction of Rubisco requires a complex and energy-consuming set of reactions collectively known as the photorespiratory cycle. Several approaches aimed at reducing the rates of photorespiratory energy or carbon loss have been proposed, based either on screening for natural variation or by means of genetic engineering. Recent work indicates that plant yield can be substantially improved by the alteration of photorespiratory fluxes or by engineering artificial bypasses to photorespiration. However, there is also evidence indicating that, under certain environmental and/or nutritional conditions, reduced photorespiratory capacity may be detrimental to plant performance. Here we summarize recent advances obtained in photorespiratory engineering and discuss prospects for these advances to be transferred to major crops to help address the globally increasing demand for food and biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Betti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hermann Bauwe
- Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Florian A Busch
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Olivier Keech
- Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Myles Levey
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Donald R Ort
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Rowan Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Stefan Timm
- Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Berkley Walker
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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505
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Photorespiration: origins and metabolic integration in interacting compartments. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67. [PMCID: PMC4867902 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
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506
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Hagemann M, Kern R, Maurino VG, Hanson DT, Weber APM, Sage RF, Bauwe H. Evolution of photorespiration from cyanobacteria to land plants, considering protein phylogenies and acquisition of carbon concentrating mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2963-76. [PMID: 26931168 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Photorespiration and oxygenic photosynthesis are intimately linked processes. It has been shown that under the present day atmospheric conditions cyanobacteria and all eukaryotic phototrophs need functional photorespiration to grow autotrophically. The question arises as to when this essential partnership evolved, i.e. can we assume a coevolution of both processes from the beginning or did photorespiration evolve later to compensate for the generation of 2-phosphoglycolate (2PG) due to Rubisco's oxygenase reaction? This question is mainly discussed here using phylogenetic analysis of proteins involved in the 2PG metabolism and the acquisition of different carbon concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). The phylogenies revealed that the enzymes involved in the photorespiration of vascular plants have diverse origins, with some proteins acquired from cyanobacteria as ancestors of the chloroplasts and others from heterotrophic bacteria as ancestors of mitochondria in the plant cell. Only phosphoglycolate phosphatase was found to originate from Archaea. Notably glaucophyte algae, the earliest branching lineage of Archaeplastida, contain more photorespiratory enzymes of cyanobacterial origin than other algal lineages or land plants indicating a larger initial contribution of cyanobacterial-derived proteins to eukaryotic photorespiration. The acquisition of CCMs is discussed as a proxy for assessing the timing of periods when photorespiratory activity may have been enhanced. The existence of CCMs also had marked influence on the structure and function of photorespiration. Here, we discuss evidence for an early and continuous coevolution of photorespiration, CCMs and photosynthesis starting from cyanobacteria via algae, to land plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Hagemann
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, A.- Einstein-Str. 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Ramona Kern
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, A.- Einstein-Str. 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Veronica G Maurino
- University of Düsseldorf, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants and Biotechnology, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Universitätsstraße 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - David T Hanson
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3B2, Canada
| | - Hermann Bauwe
- Universität Rostock, Institut für Biowissenschaften, Abteilung Pflanzenphysiologie, A.- Einstein-Str. 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
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507
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Timm S, Florian A, Fernie AR, Bauwe H. The regulatory interplay between photorespiration and photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2923-9. [PMID: 26969745 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The Calvin-Benson cycle and the photorespiratory pathway form the photosynthetic-photorespiratory supercycle that is responsible for nearly all biological CO2 fixation on Earth. In essence, supplementation with the photorespiratory pathway is necessary because the CO2-fixing enzyme of the Calvin-Benson cycle, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), catalyses several side reactions including the oxygenation of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, which produces the noxious metabolite phosphoglycolate. The photorespiratory pathway recycles the phosphoglycolate to 3-phosphoglycerate and in this way allows the Calvin-Benson cycle to operate in the presence of molecular oxygen generated by oxygenic photosynthesis. While the carbon flow through the individual and combined subprocesses is well known, information on their regulatory interaction is very limited. Regulatory feedback from the photorespiratory pathway to the Calvin-Benson cycle can be presumed from numerous inhibitor experiments and was demonstrated in recent studies with transgenic plants. This complexity illustrates that we are not yet ready to rationally engineer photosynthesis by altering photorespiration since despite massive understanding of the core photorespiratory pathway our understanding of its interaction with other pathways and processes remains fragmentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Timm
- University of Rostock, Plant Physiology Department, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexandra Florian
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Hermann Bauwe
- University of Rostock, Plant Physiology Department, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
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508
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Nunes-Nesi A, Nascimento VDL, de Oliveira Silva FM, Zsögön A, Araújo WL, Sulpice R. Natural genetic variation for morphological and molecular determinants of plant growth and yield. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2989-3001. [PMID: 27012286 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The rates of increase in yield of the main commercial crops have been steadily falling in many areas worldwide. This generates concerns because there is a growing demand for plant biomass due to the increasing population. Plant yield should thus be improved in the context of climate change and decreasing natural resources. It is a major challenge which could be tackled by improving and/or altering light-use efficiency, CO2 uptake and fixation, primary metabolism, plant architecture and leaf morphology, and developmental plant processes. In this review, we discuss some of the traits which could lead to yield increase, with a focus on how natural genetic variation could be harnessed. Moreover, we provide insights for advancing our understanding of the molecular aspects governing plant growth and yield, and propose future avenues for improvement of crop yield. We also suggest that knowledge accumulated over the last decade in the field of molecular physiology should be integrated into new ideotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriano Nunes-Nesi
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Vitor de Laia Nascimento
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Franklin Magnum de Oliveira Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Agustin Zsögön
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Wagner L Araújo
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ronan Sulpice
- National University of Ireland, Galway, Plant Systems Biology Lab, Plant and AgriBiosciences Research Centre, School of Natural Sciences, Galway, Ireland
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509
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Walker BJ, VanLoocke A, Bernacchi CJ, Ort DR. The Costs of Photorespiration to Food Production Now and in the Future. ANNUAL REVIEW OF PLANT BIOLOGY 2016; 67:107-29. [PMID: 26865340 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-arplant-043015-111709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Photorespiration is essential for C3 plants but operates at the massive expense of fixed carbon dioxide and energy. Photorespiration is initiated when the initial enzyme of photosynthesis, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), reacts with oxygen instead of carbon dioxide and produces a toxic compound that is then recycled by photorespiration. Photorespiration can be modeled at the canopy and regional scales to determine its cost under current and future atmospheres. A regional-scale model reveals that photorespiration currently decreases US soybean and wheat yields by 36% and 20%, respectively, and a 5% decrease in the losses due to photorespiration would be worth approximately $500 million annually in the United States. Furthermore, photorespiration will continue to impact yield under future climates despite increases in carbon dioxide, with models suggesting a 12-55% improvement in gross photosynthesis in the absence of photorespiration, even under climate change scenarios predicting the largest increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration. Although photorespiration is tied to other important metabolic functions, the benefit of improving its efficiency appears to outweigh any potential secondary disadvantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Berkley J Walker
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS), Urbana, Illinois 61801;
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and
| | - Andy VanLoocke
- Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011
| | - Carl J Bernacchi
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS), Urbana, Illinois 61801;
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Donald R Ort
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, US Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA/ARS), Urbana, Illinois 61801;
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
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510
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Nemhauser JL, Torii KU. Plant synthetic biology for molecular engineering of signalling and development. NATURE PLANTS 2016; 2:16010. [PMID: 27249346 PMCID: PMC5164986 DOI: 10.1038/nplants.2016.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Molecular genetic studies of model plants in the past few decades have identified many key genes and pathways controlling development, metabolism and environmental responses. Recent technological and informatics advances have led to unprecedented volumes of data that may uncover underlying principles of plants as biological systems. The newly emerged discipline of synthetic biology and related molecular engineering approaches is built on this strong foundation. Today, plant regulatory pathways can be reconstituted in heterologous organisms to identify and manipulate parameters influencing signalling outputs. Moreover, regulatory circuits that include receptors, ligands, signal transduction components, epigenetic machinery and molecular motors can be engineered and introduced into plants to create novel traits in a predictive manner. Here, we provide a brief history of plant synthetic biology and significant recent examples of this approach, focusing on how knowledge generated by the reference plant Arabidopsis thaliana has contributed to the rapid rise of this new discipline, and discuss potential future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Keiko U Torii
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
- Institute of Transformative Biomolecules (WPI-ITbM), Nagoya University, Chikusa, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan
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511
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Chen Q, van der Steen JB, Dekker HL, Ganapathy S, de Grip WJ, Hellingwerf KJ. Expression of holo-proteorhodopsin in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Metab Eng 2016; 35:83-94. [PMID: 26869136 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2015] [Revised: 01/11/2016] [Accepted: 02/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Retinal-based photosynthesis may contribute to the free energy conversion needed for growth of an organism carrying out oxygenic photosynthesis, like a cyanobacterium. After optimization, this may even enhance the overall efficiency of phototrophic growth of such organisms in sustainability applications. As a first step towards this, we here report on functional expression of the archetype proteorhodopsin in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Upon use of the moderate-strength psbA2 promoter, holo-proteorhodopsin is expressed in this cyanobacterium, at a level of up to 10(5) molecules per cell, presumably in a hexameric quaternary structure, and with approximately equal distribution (on a protein-content basis) over the thylakoid and the cytoplasmic membrane fraction. These results also demonstrate that Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has the capacity to synthesize all-trans-retinal. Expressing a substantial amount of a heterologous opsin membrane protein causes a substantial growth retardation Synechocystis, as is clear from a strain expressing PROPS, a non-pumping mutant derivative of proteorhodopsin. Relative to this latter strain, proteorhodopsin expression, however, measurably stimulates its growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Que Chen
- Molecular Microbial Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen B van der Steen
- Molecular Microbial Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Henk L Dekker
- Mass Spectrometry of Biomacromolecules, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Srividya Ganapathy
- Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willem J de Grip
- Biophysical Organic Chemistry, Leiden Institute of Chemistry, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Klaas J Hellingwerf
- Molecular Microbial Physiology, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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512
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Song Q, Chu C, Parry MAJ, Zhu X. Genetics-based dynamic systems model of canopy photosynthesis: the key to improve light and resource use efficiencies for crops. Food Energy Secur 2016; 5:18-25. [PMID: 27867502 PMCID: PMC5108349 DOI: 10.1002/fes3.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Improving canopy photosynthetic light use efficiency instead of leaf photosynthesis holds great potential to catalyze the next "green revolution". However, leaves in a canopy experience different biochemical limitations due to the heterogeneities of microclimates and also physiological parameters. Mechanistic dynamic systems models of canopy photosynthesis are now available which can be used to design the optimal canopy architectural and physiological parameters to maximize CO 2 uptake. Rapid development of modern crop genetics research now makes it possible to link such canopy models with genetic variations of crops to develop genetics-based dynamic systems models of canopy photosynthesis. Such models can guide marker-assisted breeding or genomic selection or engineering of crops to enhance light and nitrogen use efficiencies for different regions under future climate change scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingfeng Song
- CAS Key Laboratory for Computational Biology and State Key Laboratory of Hybrid RicePartner Institute for Computational BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
| | - Chengcai Chu
- The State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Beijing)Institute of Genetics and Developmental BiologyCASBeijing100101China
| | | | - Xin‐Guang Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory for Computational Biology and State Key Laboratory of Hybrid RicePartner Institute for Computational BiologyChinese Academy of SciencesShanghai200031China
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513
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Abstract
The first step of photosynthesis in plants is the absorption of sunlight by pigments in the antenna complexes of photosystem II (PSII), followed by transfer of the nascent excitation energy to the reaction centers, where long-term storage as chemical energy is initiated. Quantum mechanical mechanisms must be invoked to explain the transport of excitation within individual antenna. However, it is unclear how these mechanisms influence transfer across assemblies of antenna and thus the photochemical yield at reaction centers in the functional thylakoid membrane. Here, we model light harvesting at the several-hundred-nanometer scale of the PSII membrane, while preserving the dominant quantum effects previously observed in individual complexes. We show that excitation moves diffusively through the antenna with a diffusion length of 50 nm until it reaches a reaction center, where charge separation serves as an energetic trap. The diffusion length is a single parameter that incorporates the enhancing effect of excited state delocalization on individual rates of energy transfer as well as the complex kinetics that arise due to energy transfer and loss by decay to the ground state. The diffusion length determines PSII's high quantum efficiency in ideal conditions, as well as how it is altered by the membrane morphology and the closure of reaction centers. We anticipate that the model will be useful in resolving the nonphotochemical quenching mechanisms that PSII employs in conditions of high light stress.
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514
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Rolland V, Badger MR, Price GD. Redirecting the Cyanobacterial Bicarbonate Transporters BicA and SbtA to the Chloroplast Envelope: Soluble and Membrane Cargos Need Different Chloroplast Targeting Signals in Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:185. [PMID: 26973659 PMCID: PMC4770052 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/03/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Most major crops used for human consumption are C3 plants, which yields are limited by photosynthetic inefficiency. To circumvent this, it has been proposed to implement the cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM), principally consisting of bicarbonate transporters and carboxysomes, into plant chloroplasts. As it is currently not possible to recover homoplasmic transplastomic monocots, foreign genes must be introduced in these plants via nuclear transformation. Consequently, it is paramount to ensure that resulting proteins reach the appropriate sub-cellular compartment, which for cyanobacterial transporters BicA and SbtA, is the chloroplast inner-envelope membrane (IEM). At present, targeting signals to redirect large transmembrane proteins from non-chloroplastic organisms to plant chloroplast envelopes are unknown. The goal of this study was to identify such signals, using agrobacteria-mediated transient expression and confocal microscopy to determine the sub-cellular localization of ∼37 GFP-tagged chimeras. Initially, fragments of chloroplast proteins known to target soluble cargos to the stroma were tested for their ability to redirect BicA, but they proved ineffective. Next, different N-terminal regions from Arabidopsis IEM transporters were tested. We demonstrated that the N-terminus of AtHP59, AtPLGG1 or AtNTT1 (92-115 amino acids), containing a cleavable chloroplast transit peptide (cTP) and a membrane protein leader (MPL), was sufficient to redirect BicA or SbtA to the chloroplast envelope. This constitutes the first evidence that nuclear-encoded transmembrane proteins from non-chloroplastic organisms can be targeted to the envelope of plant chloroplasts; a finding which represents an important advance in chloroplast engineering by opening up the door to further manipulation of the chloroplastic envelope.
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515
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White AC, Rogers A, Rees M, Osborne CP. How can we make plants grow faster? A source-sink perspective on growth rate. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:31-45. [PMID: 26466662 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erv447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Growth is a major component of fitness in all organisms, an important mediator of competitive interactions in plant communities, and a central determinant of yield in crops. Understanding what limits plant growth is therefore of fundamental importance to plant evolution, ecology, and crop science, but each discipline views the process from a different perspective. This review highlights the importance of source-sink interactions as determinants of growth. The evidence for source- and sink-limitation of growth, and the ways in which regulatory molecular feedback systems act to maintain an appropriate source:sink balance, are first discussed. Evidence clearly shows that future increases in crop productivity depend crucially on a quantitative understanding of the extent to which sources or sinks limit growth, and how this changes during development. To identify bottlenecks limiting growth and yield, a holistic view of growth is required at the whole-plant scale, incorporating mechanistic interactions between physiology, resource allocation, and plant development. Such a holistic perspective on source-sink interactions will allow the development of a more integrated, whole-system level understanding of growth, with benefits across multiple disciplines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela C White
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Alistair Rogers
- Biological, Environmental and Climate Sciences Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA
| | - Mark Rees
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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516
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Occhialini A, Lin MT, Andralojc PJ, Hanson MR, Parry MAJ. Transgenic tobacco plants with improved cyanobacterial Rubisco expression but no extra assembly factors grow at near wild-type rates if provided with elevated CO2. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2016; 85:148-60. [PMID: 26662726 PMCID: PMC4718753 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2015] [Revised: 11/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Introducing a carbon-concentrating mechanism and a faster Rubisco enzyme from cyanobacteria into higher plant chloroplasts may improve photosynthetic performance by increasing the rate of CO2 fixation while decreasing losses caused by photorespiration. We previously demonstrated that tobacco plants grow photoautotrophically using Rubisco from Synechococcus elongatus, although the plants exhibited considerably slower growth than wild-type and required supplementary CO2 . Because of concerns that vascular plant assembly factors may not be adequate for assembly of a cyanobacterial Rubisco, prior transgenic plants included the cyanobacterial chaperone RbcX or the carboxysomal protein CcmM35. Here we show that neither RbcX nor CcmM35 is needed for assembly of active cyanobacterial Rubisco. Furthermore, by altering the gene regulatory sequences on the Rubisco transgenes, cyanobacterial Rubisco expression was enhanced and the transgenic plants grew at near wild-type growth rates, although still requiring elevated CO2 . We performed detailed kinetic characterization of the enzymes produced with and without the RbcX and CcmM35 cyanobacterial proteins. These transgenic plants exhibit photosynthetic characteristics that confirm the predicted benefits of introduction of non-native forms of Rubisco with higher carboxylation rate constants in vascular plants and the potential nitrogen-use efficiency that may be achieved provided that adequate CO2 is available near the enzyme.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Myat T. Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - P. John Andralojc
- Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Maureen R. Hanson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
| | - Martin A. J. Parry
- Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Bailrigg, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
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517
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Mu X, Chen Q, Chen F, Yuan L, Mi G. Within-Leaf Nitrogen Allocation in Adaptation to Low Nitrogen Supply in Maize during Grain-Filling Stage. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:699. [PMID: 27252716 PMCID: PMC4877366 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.00699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) plays a vital role in photosynthesis and crop productivity. Maize plants may be able to increase physiological N utilization efficiency (NUtE) under low-N stress by increasing photosynthetic rate (P n) per unit leaf N, that is, photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE). In this study, we analyzed the relationship between PNUE and N allocation in maize ear-leaves during the grain-filling stage under low N (no N application) and high N (180 kg N ha(-1)) in a 2-year field experiment. Under low N, grain yield decreased while NUtE increased. Low-N treatment reduced the specific N content of ear leaves by 38% without significant influencing P n, thereby increasing PNUE by 54%. Under low-N stress, maize plants tended to invest relatively more N into bioenergetics to sustain electron transport. In contrast, N allocated to chlorophyll and light-harvesting proteins was reduced to control excess electron production. Soluble proteins were reduced to shrink the N storage reservoir. We conclude that optimization of N allocation within leaves is a key adaptive mechanism to maximize P n and crop productivity when N is limited during the grain-filling stage in maize under low-N conditions.
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518
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Alissandratos A, Easton CJ. Biocatalysis for the application of CO2 as a chemical feedstock. Beilstein J Org Chem 2015; 11:2370-87. [PMID: 26734087 PMCID: PMC4685893 DOI: 10.3762/bjoc.11.259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Biocatalysts, capable of efficiently transforming CO2 into other more reduced forms of carbon, offer sustainable alternatives to current oxidative technologies that rely on diminishing natural fossil-fuel deposits. Enzymes that catalyse CO2 fixation steps in carbon assimilation pathways are promising catalysts for the sustainable transformation of this safe and renewable feedstock into central metabolites. These may be further converted into a wide range of fuels and commodity chemicals, through the multitude of known enzymatic reactions. The required reducing equivalents for the net carbon reductions may be drawn from solar energy, electricity or chemical oxidation, and delivered in vitro or through cellular mechanisms, while enzyme catalysis lowers the activation barriers of the CO2 transformations to make them more energy efficient. The development of technologies that treat CO2-transforming enzymes and other cellular components as modules that may be assembled into synthetic reaction circuits will facilitate the use of CO2 as a renewable chemical feedstock, greatly enabling a sustainable carbon bio-economy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christopher J Easton
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
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519
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Li Y, Lin Y, Garvey CJ, Birch D, Corkery RW, Loughlin PC, Scheer H, Willows RD, Chen M. Characterization of red-shifted phycobilisomes isolated from the chlorophyll f-containing cyanobacterium Halomicronema hongdechloris. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA-BIOENERGETICS 2015; 1857:107-114. [PMID: 26514405 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbabio.2015.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Revised: 10/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/24/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Phycobilisomes are the main light-harvesting protein complexes in cyanobacteria and some algae. It is commonly accepted that these complexes only absorb green and orange light, complementing chlorophyll absorbance. Here, we present a new phycobilisome derived complex that consists only of allophycocyanin core subunits, having red-shifted absorption peaks of 653 and 712 nm. These red-shifted phycobiliprotein complexes were isolated from the chlorophyll f-containing cyanobacterium, Halomicronema hongdechloris, grown under monochromatic 730 nm-wavelength (far-red) light. The 3D model obtained from single particle analysis reveals a double disk assembly of 120-145 Å with two α/β allophycocyanin trimers fitting into the two separated disks. They are significantly smaller than typical phycobilisomes formed from allophycocyanin subunits and core-membrane linker proteins, which fit well with a reduced distance between thylakoid membranes observed from cells grown under far-red light. Spectral analysis of the dissociated and denatured phycobiliprotein complexes grown under both these light conditions shows that the same bilin chromophore, phycocyanobilin, is exclusively used. Our findings show that red-shifted phycobilisomes are required for assisting efficient far-red light harvesting. Their discovery provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of light harvesting under extreme conditions for photosynthesis, as well as the strategies involved in flexible chromatic acclimation to diverse light conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaqiong Li
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Yuankui Lin
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Christopher J Garvey
- Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Lucas Heights Campus, NSW 2234, Australia
| | - Debra Birch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Robert W Corkery
- Applied Physical Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, StockholmSE-100 44, Sweden
| | - Patrick C Loughlin
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Hugo Scheer
- Department of Biology I, University of Munich, Menzinger Str. 67, D-80638 München, Germany
| | - Robert D Willows
- Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Min Chen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and School of Biological Sciences, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
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