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de Pins B, Greenspoon L, Bar-On YM, Shamshoum M, Ben-Nissan R, Milshtein E, Davidi D, Sharon I, Mueller-Cajar O, Noor E, Milo R. A systematic exploration of bacterial form I rubisco maximal carboxylation rates. EMBO J 2024:10.1038/s44318-024-00119-z. [PMID: 38806660 DOI: 10.1038/s44318-024-00119-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Autotrophy is the basis for complex life on Earth. Central to this process is rubisco-the enzyme that catalyzes almost all carbon fixation on the planet. Yet, with only a small fraction of rubisco diversity kinetically characterized so far, the underlying biological factors driving the evolution of fast rubiscos in nature remain unclear. We conducted a high-throughput kinetic characterization of over 100 bacterial form I rubiscos, the most ubiquitous group of rubisco sequences in nature, to uncover the determinants of rubisco's carboxylation velocity. We show that the presence of a carboxysome CO2 concentrating mechanism correlates with faster rubiscos with a median fivefold higher rate. In contrast to prior studies, we find that rubiscos originating from α-cyanobacteria exhibit the highest carboxylation rates among form I enzymes (≈10 s-1 median versus <7 s-1 in other groups). Our study systematically reveals biological and environmental properties associated with kinetic variation across rubiscos from nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benoit de Pins
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Lior Greenspoon
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Yinon M Bar-On
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
- Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Melina Shamshoum
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Roee Ben-Nissan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Eliya Milshtein
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Dan Davidi
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
- Aleph, Tel Aviv-Yafo, 6688210, Israel
| | - Itai Sharon
- Migal Galilee Research Institute, Kiryat Shmona, 11016, Israel
| | - Oliver Mueller-Cajar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Elad Noor
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel
| | - Ron Milo
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, 76100, Israel.
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2
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Nguyen ND, Pulsford SB, Förster B, Rottet S, Rourke L, Long BM, Price GD. A carboxysome-based CO 2 concentrating mechanism for C 3 crop chloroplasts: advances and the road ahead. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2024; 118:940-952. [PMID: 38321620 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.16667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
The introduction of the carboxysome-based CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) into crop plants has been modelled to significantly increase crop yields. This projection serves as motivation for pursuing this strategy to contribute to global food security. The successful implementation of this engineering challenge is reliant upon the transfer of a microcompartment that encapsulates cyanobacterial Rubisco, known as the carboxysome, alongside active bicarbonate transporters. To date, significant progress has been achieved with respect to understanding various aspects of the cyanobacterial CCM, and more recently, different components of the carboxysome have been successfully introduced into plant chloroplasts. In this Perspective piece, we summarise recent findings and offer new research avenues that will accelerate research in this field to ultimately and successfully introduce the carboxysome into crop plants for increased crop yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nghiem D Nguyen
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Sacha B Pulsford
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, 137 Sullivan's Ck Rd, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Britta Förster
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Sarah Rottet
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Loraine Rourke
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Benedict M Long
- Discipline of Biological Sciences, School of Environmental and Life Sciences, ARC Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, The University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, New South Wales, 2308, Australia
| | - G Dean Price
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
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3
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Hudson EP. The Calvin Benson cycle in bacteria: New insights from systems biology. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 155:71-83. [PMID: 37002131 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The Calvin Benson cycle in phototrophic and chemolithoautotrophic bacteria has ecological and biotechnological importance, which has motivated study of its regulation. I review recent advances in our understanding of how the Calvin Benson cycle is regulated in bacteria and the technologies used to elucidate regulation and modify it, and highlight differences between and photoautotrophic and chemolithoautotrophic models. Systems biology studies have shown that in oxygenic phototrophic bacteria, Calvin Benson cycle enzymes are extensively regulated at post-transcriptional and post-translational levels, with multiple enzyme activities connected to cellular redox status through thioredoxin. In chemolithoautotrophic bacteria, regulation is primarily at the transcriptional level, with effector metabolites transducing cell status, though new methods should now allow facile, proteome-wide exploration of biochemical regulation in these models. A biotechnological objective is to enhance CO2 fixation in the cycle and partition that carbon to a product of interest. Flux control of CO2 fixation is distributed over multiple enzymes, and attempts to modulate gene Calvin cycle gene expression show a robust homeostatic regulation of growth rate, though the synthesis rates of products can be significantly increased. Therefore, de-regulation of cycle enzymes through protein engineering may be necessary to increase fluxes. Non-canonical Calvin Benson cycles, if implemented with synthetic biology, could have reduced energy demand and enzyme loading, thus increasing the attractiveness of these bacteria for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elton P Hudson
- Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH - Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
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4
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Gionfriddo M, Rhodes T, Whitney SM. Perspectives on improving crop Rubisco by directed evolution. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2024; 155:37-47. [PMID: 37085353 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco catalyses the entry of almost all CO2 into the biosphere and is often the rate-limiting step in plant photosynthesis and growth. Its notoriety as the most abundant protein on Earth stems from the slow and error-prone catalytic properties that require plants, cyanobacteria, algae and photosynthetic bacteria to produce it in high amounts. Efforts to improve the CO2-fixing properties of plant Rubisco has been spurred on by the discovery of more effective isoforms in some algae with the potential to significantly improve crop productivity. Incompatibilities between the protein folding machinery of leaf and algae chloroplasts have, so far, prevented efforts to transplant these more effective Rubisco variants into plants. There is therefore increasing interest in improving Rubisco catalysis by directed (laboratory) evolution. Here we review the advances being made in, and the ongoing challenges with, improving the solubility and/or carboxylation activity of differing non-plant Rubisco lineages. We provide perspectives on new opportunities for the directed evolution of crop Rubiscos and the existing plant transformation capabilities available to evaluate the extent to which Rubisco activity improvements can benefit agricultural productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Gionfriddo
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia; Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Martinsried 82152, Germany
| | - Timothy Rhodes
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia.
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5
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Zhao L, Cai Z, Li Y, Zhang Y. Engineering Rubisco to enhance CO 2 utilization. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:55-68. [PMID: 38273863 PMCID: PMC10809010 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is a pivotal enzyme that mediates the fixation of CO2. As the most abundant protein on earth, Rubisco has a significant impact on global carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles. However, the significantly low carboxylation activity and competing oxygenase activity of Rubisco greatly impede high carbon fixation efficiency. This review first summarizes the current efforts in directly or indirectly modifying plant Rubisco, which has been challenging due to its high conservation and limitations in chloroplast transformation techniques. However, recent advancements in understanding Rubisco biogenesis with the assistance of chaperones have enabled successful heterologous expression of all Rubisco forms, including plant Rubisco, in microorganisms. This breakthrough facilitates the acquisition and evaluation of modified proteins, streamlining the measurement of their activity. Moreover, the establishment of a screening system in E. coli opens up possibilities for obtaining high-performance mutant enzymes through directed evolution. Finally, this review emphasizes the utilization of Rubisco in microorganisms, not only expanding their carbon-fixing capabilities but also holding significant potential for enhancing biotransformation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhen Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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6
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Sugii S, Hagino K, Mizuuchi R, Ichihashi N. Cell-free expression of RuBisCO for ATP production in the synthetic cells. Synth Biol (Oxf) 2023; 8:ysad016. [PMID: 38149045 PMCID: PMC10750972 DOI: 10.1093/synbio/ysad016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in bottom-up synthetic biology have made it possible to reconstitute cellular systems from non-living components, yielding artificial cells with potential applications in industry, medicine and basic research. Although a variety of cellular functions and components have been reconstituted in previous studies, sustained biological energy production remains a challenge. ATP synthesis via ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), a central enzyme in biological CO2 fixation, holds potential as an energy production system, but its feasibility in a cell-free expression system has not yet been tested. In this study, we test RuBisCO expression and its activity-mediated ATP synthesis in a reconstituted Escherichia coli-based cell-free translation system. We then construct a system in which ATP is synthesized by RuBisCO activity in giant vesicles and used as energy for translation reactions. These results represent an advance toward independent energy production in artificial cells. Graphical Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katsumi Hagino
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
| | - Ryo Mizuuchi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Bioscience, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan
- JST FOREST, Kawaguchi, Saitama 332-0012, Japan
| | - Norikazu Ichihashi
- Department of Life Science, Graduate School of Arts and Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Komaba Institute for Science, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Universal Biology Institute, The University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- College of Arts and Science, the University of Tokyo, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8902, Japan
- Department of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan
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7
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Bouvier JW, Kelly S. Response to Tcherkez and Farquhar: Rubisco adaptation is more limited by phylogenetic constraint than by catalytic trade-off. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 287:154021. [PMID: 37392528 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2023.154021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco is the primary entry point for carbon into the biosphere. It has been widely proposed that rubisco is highly constrained by catalytic trade-offs due to correlations between the enzyme's kinetic traits across species. In previous work, we have shown that the strength of these correlations, and thus the strength of catalytic trade-offs, have been overestimated due to the presence of phylogenetic signal in the kinetic trait data (Bouvier et al., 2021). We demonstrated that only the trade-offs between the Michaelis constant for CO2 and carboxylase turnover, and between the Michaelis constants for CO2 and O2 were robust to phylogenetic effects. We further demonstrated that phylogenetic constraints have limited rubisco adaptation to a greater extent than the combined action of catalytic trade-offs. Recently, however, our claims have been contested by Tcherkez and Farquhar (2021), who have argued that the phylogenetic signal we detect in rubisco kinetic traits is an artefact of species sampling, the use of rbcL-based trees for phylogenetic inference, laboratory-to-laboratory variability in kinetic measurements, and homoplasy of the C4 trait. In the present article, we respond to these criticisms on a point-by-point basis and conclusively show that all are unfounded. As such, we stand by our original conclusions. Namely, although rubisco kinetic evolution has been limited by biochemical trade-offs, these are not absolute and have been previously overestimated due to phylogenetic biases. Instead, rubisco adaptation has in fact been more limited by phylogenetic constraint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques W Bouvier
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, United Kingdom
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, United Kingdom.
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8
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Zhou Y, Gunn LH, Birch R, Andersson I, Whitney SM. Grafting Rhodobacter sphaeroides with red algae Rubisco to accelerate catalysis and plant growth. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:978-986. [PMID: 37291398 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01436-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Improving the carboxylation properties of Rubisco has primarily arisen from unforeseen amino acid substitutions remote from the catalytic site. The unpredictability has frustrated rational design efforts to enhance plant Rubisco towards the prized growth-enhancing carboxylation properties of red algae Griffithsia monilis GmRubisco. To address this, we determined the crystal structure of GmRubisco to 1.7 Å. Three structurally divergent domains were identified relative to the red-type bacterial Rhodobacter sphaeroides RsRubisco that, unlike GmRubisco, are expressed in Escherichia coli and plants. Kinetic comparison of 11 RsRubisco chimaeras revealed that incorporating C329A and A332V substitutions from GmRubisco Loop 6 (corresponding to plant residues 328 and 331) into RsRubisco increased the carboxylation rate (kcatc) by 60%, the carboxylation efficiency in air by 22% and the CO2/O2 specificity (Sc/o) by 7%. Plastome transformation of this RsRubisco Loop 6 mutant into tobacco enhanced photosynthesis and growth up to twofold over tobacco producing wild-type RsRubisco. Our findings demonstrate the utility of RsRubisco for the identification and in planta testing of amino acid grafts from algal Rubisco that can enhance the enzyme's carboxylase potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Laura H Gunn
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Rosemary Birch
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Inger Andersson
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Norwegian College of Fisheries Sciences, UiT Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
- Institute of Biotechnology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Biocev, Vestec, Czech Republic
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia.
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9
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Aguiló-Nicolau P, Galmés J, Fais G, Capó-Bauçà S, Cao G, Iñiguez C. Singular adaptations in the carbon assimilation mechanism of the polyextremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis thermalis. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 156:231-245. [PMID: 36941458 PMCID: PMC10154277 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01008-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Cyanobacteria largely contribute to the biogeochemical carbon cycle fixing ~ 25% of the inorganic carbon on Earth. However, the carbon acquisition and assimilation mechanisms in Cyanobacteria are still underexplored regardless of being of great importance for shedding light on the origins of autotropism on Earth and providing new bioengineering tools for crop yield improvement. Here, we fully characterized these mechanisms from the polyextremophile cyanobacterium Chroococcidiopsis thermalis KOMAREK 1964/111 in comparison with the model cyanobacterial strain, Synechococcus sp. PCC6301. In particular, we analyzed the Rubisco kinetics along with the in vivo photosynthetic CO2 assimilation in response to external dissolved inorganic carbon, the effect of CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) inhibitors on net photosynthesis and the anatomical particularities of their carboxysomes when grown under either ambient air (0.04% CO2) or 2.5% CO2-enriched air. Our results show that Rubisco from C. thermalis possess the highest specificity factor and carboxylation efficiency ever reported for Cyanobacteria, which were accompanied by a highly effective CCM, concentrating CO2 around Rubisco more than 140-times the external CO2 levels, when grown under ambient CO2 conditions. Our findings provide new insights into the Rubisco kinetics of Cyanobacteria, suggesting that improved Sc/o values can still be compatible with a fast-catalyzing enzyme. The combination of Rubisco kinetics and CCM effectiveness in C. thermalis relative to other cyanobacterial species might indicate that the co-evolution between Rubisco and CCMs in Cyanobacteria is not as constrained as in other phylogenetic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Aguiló-Nicolau
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Ctra. Valldemossa km. 7.5, 07122, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Jeroni Galmés
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Ctra. Valldemossa km. 7.5, 07122, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain.
| | - Giacomo Fais
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Sebastià Capó-Bauçà
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Ctra. Valldemossa km. 7.5, 07122, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Giacomo Cao
- Interdepartmental Centre of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via San Giorgio 12, 09124, Cagliari, Italy
- Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Via Marengo 2, 09123, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Concepción Iñiguez
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Ctra. Valldemossa km. 7.5, 07122, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
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Chen T, Riaz S, Davey P, Zhao Z, Sun Y, Dykes GF, Zhou F, Hartwell J, Lawson T, Nixon PJ, Lin Y, Liu LN. Producing fast and active Rubisco in tobacco to enhance photosynthesis. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:795-807. [PMID: 36471570 PMCID: PMC9940876 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) performs most of the carbon fixation on Earth. However, plant Rubisco is an intrinsically inefficient enzyme given its low carboxylation rate, representing a major limitation to photosynthesis. Replacing endogenous plant Rubisco with a faster Rubisco is anticipated to enhance crop photosynthesis and productivity. However, the requirement of chaperones for Rubisco expression and assembly has obstructed the efficient production of functional foreign Rubisco in chloroplasts. Here, we report the engineering of a Form 1A Rubisco from the proteobacterium Halothiobacillus neapolitanus in Escherichia coli and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) chloroplasts without any cognate chaperones. The native tobacco gene encoding Rubisco large subunit was genetically replaced with H. neapolitanus Rubisco (HnRubisco) large and small subunit genes. We show that HnRubisco subunits can form functional L8S8 hexadecamers in tobacco chloroplasts at high efficiency, accounting for ∼40% of the wild-type tobacco Rubisco content. The chloroplast-expressed HnRubisco displayed a ∼2-fold greater carboxylation rate and supported a similar autotrophic growth rate of transgenic plants to that of wild-type in air supplemented with 1% CO2. This study represents a step toward the engineering of a fast and highly active Rubisco in chloroplasts to improve crop photosynthesis and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taiyu Chen
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Saba Riaz
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building-Wolfson Laboratories, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Philip Davey
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 4SQ, UK
| | - Ziyu Zhao
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building-Wolfson Laboratories, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yaqi Sun
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Gregory F Dykes
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Fei Zhou
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - James Hartwell
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - Tracy Lawson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 4SQ, UK
| | - Peter J Nixon
- Department of Life Sciences, Sir Ernst Chain Building-Wolfson Laboratories, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Yongjun Lin
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Lu-Ning Liu
- Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
- College of Marine Life Sciences, and Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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11
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Liu X, Zhang P, Zhao Q, Huang AC. Making small molecules in plants: A chassis for synthetic biology-based production of plant natural products. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 65:417-443. [PMID: 35852486 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant natural products have been extensively exploited in food, medicine, flavor, cosmetic, renewable fuel, and other industrial sectors. Synthetic biology has recently emerged as a promising means for the cost-effective and sustainable production of natural products. Compared with engineering microbes for the production of plant natural products, the potential of plants as chassis for producing these compounds is underestimated, largely due to challenges encountered in engineering plants. Knowledge in plant engineering is instrumental for enabling the effective and efficient production of valuable phytochemicals in plants, and also paves the way for a more sustainable future agriculture. In this manuscript, we briefly recap the biosynthesis of plant natural products, focusing primarily on industrially important terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenylpropanoids. We further summarize the plant hosts and strategies that have been used to engineer the production of natural products. The challenges and opportunities of using plant synthetic biology to achieve rapid and scalable production of high-value plant natural products are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Qiao Zhao
- Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Ancheng C Huang
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Design for Plant Cell Factory of Guangdong Higher Education Institutes, Department of Biology, School of Life Sciences, SUSTech-PKU Institute of Plant and Food Science, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518055, China
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12
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Qu Y, Mueller-Cajar O, Yamori W. Improving plant heat tolerance through modification of Rubisco activase in C3 plants to secure crop yield and food security in a future warming world. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:591-599. [PMID: 35981868 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The world's population may reach 10 billion by 2050, but 10% still suffer from food shortages. At the same time, global warming threatens food security by decreasing crop yields, so it is necessary to develop crops with enhanced resistance to high temperatures in order to secure the food supply. In this review, the role of Rubisco activase as an important factor in plant heat tolerance is summarized, based on the conclusions of recent findings. Rubisco activase is a molecular chaperone determining the activation of Rubisco, whose heat sensitivity causes reductions of photosynthesis at high temperatures. Thus, the thermostability of Rubisco activase is considered to be critical for improving plant heat tolerance. It has been shown that the introduction of thermostable Rubisco activase through gene editing into Arabidopsis thaliana and from heat-adapted wild Oryza species or C4Zea mays into Oryza sativa improves Rubisco activation, photosynthesis, and plant growth at high temperatures. We propose that developing a universal thermostable Rubisco activase could be a promising direction for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Qu
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Agri-ecosystem Services, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Wataru Yamori
- Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, Institute for Sustainable Agri-ecosystem Services, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Mao Y, Catherall E, Díaz-Ramos A, Greiff GRL, Azinas S, Gunn L, McCormick AJ. The small subunit of Rubisco and its potential as an engineering target. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:543-561. [PMID: 35849331 PMCID: PMC9833052 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco catalyses the first rate-limiting step in CO2 fixation and is responsible for the vast majority of organic carbon present in the biosphere. The function and regulation of Rubisco remain an important research topic and a longstanding engineering target to enhance the efficiency of photosynthesis for agriculture and green biotechnology. The most abundant form of Rubisco (Form I) consists of eight large and eight small subunits, and is found in all plants, algae, cyanobacteria, and most phototrophic and chemolithoautotrophic proteobacteria. Although the active sites of Rubisco are located on the large subunits, expression of the small subunit regulates the size of the Rubisco pool in plants and can influence the overall catalytic efficiency of the Rubisco complex. The small subunit is now receiving increasing attention as a potential engineering target to improve the performance of Rubisco. Here we review our current understanding of the role of the small subunit and our growing capacity to explore its potential to modulate Rubisco catalysis using engineering biology approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Aranzazú Díaz-Ramos
- SynthSys & Institute of Molecular Plant Sciences, School of Biological Sciences, King’s Buildings, University of Edinburgh, Edingburgh EH9 3BF, UK
| | - George R L Greiff
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Stavros Azinas
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Laura Gunn
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, S-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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14
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Iqbal WA, Lisitsa A, Kapralov MV. Predicting plant Rubisco kinetics from RbcL sequence data using machine learning. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:638-650. [PMID: 36094849 PMCID: PMC9833099 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is responsible for the conversion of atmospheric CO2 to organic carbon during photosynthesis, and often acts as a rate limiting step in the later process. Screening the natural diversity of Rubisco kinetics is the main strategy used to find better Rubisco enzymes for crop engineering efforts. Here, we demonstrate the use of Gaussian processes (GPs), a family of Bayesian models, coupled with protein encoding schemes, for predicting Rubisco kinetics from Rubisco large subunit (RbcL) sequence data. GPs trained on published experimentally obtained Rubisco kinetic datasets were applied to over 9000 sequences encoding RbcL to predict Rubisco kinetic parameters. Notably, our predicted kinetic values were in agreement with known trends, e.g. higher carboxylation turnover rates (Kcat) for Rubisco enzymes from C4 or crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species, compared with those found in C3 species. This is the first study demonstrating machine learning approaches as a tool for screening and predicting Rubisco kinetics, which could be applied to other enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wasim A Iqbal
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Alexei Lisitsa
- Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 3BX, United Kingdom
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15
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Buck S, Rhodes T, Gionfriddo M, Skinner T, Yuan D, Birch R, Kapralov MV, Whitney SM. Escherichia coli expressing chloroplast chaperones as a proxy to test heterologous Rubisco production in leaves. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:664-676. [PMID: 36322613 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco is a fundamental enzyme in photosynthesis and therefore for life. Efforts to improve plant Rubisco performance have been hindered by the enzymes' complex chloroplast biogenesis requirements. New Synbio approaches, however, now allow the production of some plant Rubisco isoforms in Escherichia coli. While this enhances opportunities for catalytic improvement, there remain limitations in the utility of the expression system. Here we generate, optimize, and test a robust Golden Gate cloning E. coli expression system incorporating the protein folding machinery of tobacco chloroplasts. By comparing the expression of different plant Rubiscos in both E. coli and plastome-transformed tobacco, we show that the E. coli expression system can accurately predict high level Rubisco production in chloroplasts but poorly forecasts the biogenesis potential of isoforms with impaired production in planta. We reveal that heterologous Rubisco production in E. coli and tobacco plastids poorly correlates with Rubisco large subunit phylogeny. Our findings highlight the need to fully understand the factors governing Rubisco biogenesis if we are to deliver an efficient, low-cost screening tool that can accurately emulate chloroplast expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sally Buck
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Tim Rhodes
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Matteo Gionfriddo
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Tanya Skinner
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Ding Yuan
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
| | - Maxim V Kapralov
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Canberra 2000, Australia
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16
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Manning T, Birch R, Stevenson T, Nugent G, Whitney S. Bacterial Form II Rubisco can support wild-type growth and productivity in Solanum tuberosum cv. Desiree (potato) under elevated CO 2. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgac305. [PMID: 36743474 PMCID: PMC9896143 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The last decade has seen significant advances in the development of approaches for improving both the light harvesting and carbon fixation pathways of photosynthesis by nuclear transformation, many involving multigene synthetic biology approaches. As efforts to replicate these accomplishments from tobacco into crops gather momentum, similar diversification is needed in the range of transgenic options available, including capabilities to modify crop photosynthesis by chloroplast transformation. To address this need, here we describe the first transplastomic modification of photosynthesis in a crop by replacing the native Rubisco in potato with the faster, but lower CO2-affinity and poorer CO2/O2 specificity Rubisco from the bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. High level production of R. rubrum Rubisco in the potRr genotype (8 to 10 µmol catalytic sites m2) allowed it to attain wild-type levels of productivity, including tuber yield, in air containing 0.5% (v/v) CO2. Under controlled environment growth at 25°C and 350 µmol photons m2 PAR, the productivity and leaf biochemistry of wild-type potato at 0.06%, 0.5%, or 1.5% (v/v) CO2 and potRr at 0.5% or 1.5% (v/v) CO2 were largely indistinguishable. These findings suggest that increasing the scope for enhancing productivity gains in potato by improving photosynthate production will necessitate improvement to its sink-potential, consistent with current evidence productivity gains by eCO2 fertilization for this crop hit a ceiling around 560 to 600 ppm CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahnee Manning
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Trevor Stevenson
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
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17
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Kim S, Jang YJ, Gong G, Lee SM, Um Y, Kim KH, Ko JK. Engineering Cupriavidus necator H16 for enhanced lithoautotrophic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production from CO 2. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:231. [PMCID: PMC9636797 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01962-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A representative hydrogen-oxidizing bacterium Cupriavidus necator H16 has attracted much attention as hosts to recycle carbon dioxide (CO2) into a biodegradable polymer, poly(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Although C. necator H16 has been used as a model PHB producer, the PHB production rate from CO2 is still too low for commercialization. Results Here, we engineer the carbon fixation metabolism to improve CO2 utilization and increase PHB production. We explore the possibilities to enhance the lithoautotrophic cell growth and PHB production by introducing additional copies of transcriptional regulators involved in Calvin Benson Bassham (CBB) cycle. Both cbbR and regA-overexpressing strains showed the positive phenotypes for 11% increased biomass accumulation and 28% increased PHB production. The transcriptional changes of key genes involved in CO2—fixing metabolism and PHB production were investigated. Conclusions The global transcriptional regulator RegA plays an important role in the regulation of carbon fixation and shows the possibility to improve autotrophic cell growth and PHB accumulation by increasing its expression level. This work represents another step forward in better understanding and improving the lithoautotrophic PHB production by C. necator H16. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01962-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soyoung Kim
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
| | - Yong Jae Jang
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
| | - Gyeongtaek Gong
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Division of Energy and Environment Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
| | - Sun-Mi Lee
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Division of Energy and Environment Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
| | - Youngsoon Um
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Division of Energy and Environment Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Heon Kim
- grid.222754.40000 0001 0840 2678Department of Biotechnology, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul, 02841 Republic of Korea
| | - Ja Kyong Ko
- grid.35541.360000000121053345Clean Energy Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea ,grid.412786.e0000 0004 1791 8264Division of Energy and Environment Technology, KIST School, University of Science and Technology, Seoul, 02792 Republic of Korea
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18
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Schulz L, Guo Z, Zarzycki J, Steinchen W, Schuller JM, Heimerl T, Prinz S, Mueller-Cajar O, Erb TJ, Hochberg GKA. Evolution of increased complexity and specificity at the dawn of form I Rubiscos. Science 2022; 378:155-160. [PMID: 36227987 DOI: 10.1126/science.abq1416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The evolution of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenases (Rubiscos) that discriminate strongly between their substrate carbon dioxide and the undesired side substrate dioxygen was an important event for photosynthetic organisms adapting to an oxygenated environment. We use ancestral sequence reconstruction to recapitulate this event. We show that Rubisco increased its specificity and carboxylation efficiency through the gain of an accessory subunit before atmospheric oxygen was present. Using structural and biochemical approaches, we retrace how this subunit was gained and became essential. Our work illuminates the emergence of an adaptation to rising ambient oxygen levels, provides a template for investigating the function of interactions that have remained elusive because of their essentiality, and sheds light on the determinants of specificity in Rubisco.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Schulz
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Zhijun Guo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Jan Zarzycki
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Wieland Steinchen
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Jan M Schuller
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Heimerl
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Biology, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Simone Prinz
- Central Electron Microscopy Facility, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oliver Mueller-Cajar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - Tobias J Erb
- Department of Biochemistry and Synthetic Metabolism, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany
| | - Georg K A Hochberg
- Center for Synthetic Microbiology (SYNMIKRO), Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Department of Chemistry, Philipps University Marburg, 35043 Marburg, Germany.,Evolutionary Biochemistry Group, Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, 35043 Marburg, Germany
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19
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Sharwood RE, Quick WP, Sargent D, Estavillo GM, Silva-Perez V, Furbank RT. Mining for allelic gold: finding genetic variation in photosynthetic traits in crops and wild relatives. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:3085-3108. [PMID: 35274686 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Improvement of photosynthetic traits in crops to increase yield potential and crop resilience has recently become a major breeding target. Synthetic biology and genetic technologies offer unparalleled opportunities to create new genetics for photosynthetic traits driven by existing fundamental knowledge. However, large 'gene bank' collections of germplasm comprising historical collections of crop species and their relatives offer a wealth of opportunities to find novel allelic variation in the key steps of photosynthesis, to identify new mechanisms and to accelerate genetic progress in crop breeding programmes. Here we explore the available genetic resources in food and fibre crops, strategies to selectively target allelic variation in genes underpinning key photosynthetic processes, and deployment of this variation via gene editing in modern elite material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert E Sharwood
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - W Paul Quick
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Demi Sargent
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Robert T Furbank
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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20
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The CbbQO-type rubisco activases encoded in carboxysome gene clusters can activate carboxysomal form IA rubiscos. J Biol Chem 2021; 298:101476. [PMID: 34890642 PMCID: PMC8718961 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The CO2-fixing enzyme rubisco is responsible for almost all carbon fixation. This process frequently requires rubisco activase (Rca) machinery, which couples ATP hydrolysis to the removal of inhibitory sugar phosphates, including the rubisco substrate ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP). Rubisco is sometimes compartmentalized in carboxysomes, bacterial microcompartments that enable a carbon dioxide concentrating mechanism (CCM). Characterized carboxysomal rubiscos, however, are not prone to inhibition, and often no activase machinery is associated with these enzymes. Here, we characterize two carboxysomal rubiscos of the form IAC clade that are associated with CbbQO-type Rcas. These enzymes release RuBP at a much lower rate than the canonical carboxysomal rubisco from Synechococcus PCC6301. We found that CbbQO-type Rcas encoded in carboxysome gene clusters can remove RuBP and the tight-binding transition state analog carboxy-arabinitol 1,5-bisphosphate from cognate rubiscos. The Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans genome encodes two form IA rubiscos associated with two sets of cbbQ and cbbO genes. We show that the two CbbQO activase systems display specificity for the rubisco enzyme encoded in the same gene cluster, and this property can be switched by substituting the C-terminal three residues of the large subunit. Our findings indicate that the kinetic and inhibitory properties of proteobacterial form IA rubiscos are diverse and predict that Rcas may be necessary for some α-carboxysomal CCMs. These findings will have implications for efforts aiming to introduce biophysical CCMs into plants and other hosts for improvement of carbon fixation of crops.
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21
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Iñiguez C, Aguiló-Nicolau P, Galmés J. Improving photosynthesis through the enhancement of Rubisco carboxylation capacity. Biochem Soc Trans 2021; 49:2007-2019. [PMID: 34623388 DOI: 10.1042/bst20201056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 09/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rising human population, along with the reduction in arable land and the impacts of global change, sets out the need for continuously improving agricultural resource use efficiency and crop yield (CY). Bioengineering approaches for photosynthesis optimization have largely demonstrated the potential for enhancing CY. This review is focused on the improvement of Rubisco functioning, which catalyzes the rate-limiting step of CO2 fixation required for plant growth, but also catalyzes the ribulose-bisphosphate oxygenation initiating the carbon and energy wasteful photorespiration pathway. Rubisco carboxylation capacity can be enhanced by engineering the Rubisco large and/or small subunit genes to improve its catalytic traits, or by engineering the mechanisms that provide enhanced Rubisco expression, activation and/or elevated [CO2] around the active sites to favor carboxylation over oxygenation. Recent advances have been made in the expression, assembly and activation of foreign (either natural or mutant) faster and/or more CO2-specific Rubisco versions. Some components of CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) from bacteria, algae and C4 plants has been successfully expressed in tobacco and rice. Still, none of the transformed plant lines expressing foreign Rubisco versions and/or simplified CCM components were able to grow faster than wild type plants under present atmospheric [CO2] and optimum conditions. However, the results obtained up to date suggest that it might be achievable in the near future. In addition, photosynthetic and yield improvements have already been observed when manipulating Rubisco quantity and activation degree in crops. Therefore, engineering Rubisco carboxylation capacity continues being a promising target for the improvement in photosynthesis and yield.
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Affiliation(s)
- Concepción Iñiguez
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears-INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Pere Aguiló-Nicolau
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears-INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
| | - Jeroni Galmés
- Research Group on Plant Biology Under Mediterranean Conditions, Universitat de les Illes Balears-INAGEA, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
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22
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Zhang J, Liu G, Carvajal AI, Wilson RH, Cai Z, Li Y. Discovery of a readily heterologously expressed Rubisco from the deep sea with potential for CO 2 capture. BIORESOUR BIOPROCESS 2021; 8:86. [PMID: 38650243 PMCID: PMC10992382 DOI: 10.1186/s40643-021-00439-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), the key CO2-fixing enzyme in photosynthesis, is notorious for its low carboxylation. We report a highly active and assembly-competent Form II Rubisco from the endosymbiont of a deep-sea tubeworm Riftia pachyptila (RPE Rubisco), which shows a 50.5% higher carboxylation efficiency than that of a high functioning Rubisco from Synechococcus sp. PCC7002 (7002 Rubisco). It is a simpler hexamer with three pairs of large subunit homodimers around a central threefold symmetry axis. Compared with 7002 Rubisco, it showed a 3.6-fold higher carbon capture efficiency in vivo using a designed CO2 capture model. The simple structure, high carboxylation efficiency, easy heterologous soluble expression/assembly make RPE Rubisco a ready-to-deploy enzyme for CO2 capture that does not require complex co-expression of chaperones. The chemosynthetic CO2 fixation machinery of chemolithoautotrophs, CO2-fixing endosymbionts, may be more efficient than previously realized with great potential for next-generation microbial CO2 sequestration platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoxia Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Alonso I Carvajal
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany
| | - Robert H Wilson
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152, Martinsried, Germany.
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
| | - Zhen Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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23
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Evolution-aided engineering of plant specialized metabolism. ABIOTECH 2021; 2:240-263. [PMID: 36303885 PMCID: PMC9590541 DOI: 10.1007/s42994-021-00052-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of new traits in living organisms occurs via the processes of mutation, recombination, genetic drift, and selection. These processes that have resulted in the immense biological diversity on our planet are also being employed in metabolic engineering to optimize enzymes and pathways, create new-to-nature reactions, and synthesize complex natural products in heterologous systems. In this review, we discuss two evolution-aided strategies for metabolic engineering-directed evolution, which improves upon existing genetic templates using the evolutionary process, and combinatorial pathway reconstruction, which brings together genes evolved in different organisms into a single heterologous host. We discuss the general principles of these strategies, describe the technologies involved and the molecular traits they influence, provide examples of their use, and discuss the roadblocks that need to be addressed for their wider adoption. A better understanding of these strategies can provide an impetus to research on gene function discovery and biochemical evolution, which is foundational for improved metabolic engineering. These evolution-aided approaches thus have a substantial potential for improving our understanding of plant metabolism in general, for enhancing the production of plant metabolites, and in sustainable agriculture.
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24
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Insights into the Structure of Rubisco from Dinoflagellates-In Silico Studies. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22168524. [PMID: 34445230 PMCID: PMC8395205 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22168524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is one of the best studied enzymes. It is crucial for photosynthesis, and thus for all of biosphere’s productivity. There are four isoforms of this enzyme, differing by amino acid sequence composition and quaternary structure. However, there is still a group of organisms, dinoflagellates, single-cell eukaryotes, that are confirmed to possess Rubisco, but no successful purification of the enzyme of such origin, and hence a generation of a crystal structure was reported to date. Here, we are using in silico tools to generate the possible structure of Rubisco from a dinoflagellate representative, Symbiodinium sp. We selected two templates: Rubisco from Rhodospirillum rubrum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Both enzymes are the so-called form II Rubiscos, but the first is exclusively a homodimer, while the second one forms homo-hexamers. Obtained models show no differences in amino acids crucial for Rubisco activity. The variation was found at two closely located inserts in the C-terminal domain, of which one extends a helix and the other forms a loop. These inserts most probably do not play a direct role in the enzyme’s activity, but may be responsible for interaction with an unknown protein partner, possibly a regulator or a chaperone. Analysis of the possible oligomerization interface indicated that Symbiodinium sp. Rubisco most likely forms a trimer of homodimers, not just a homodimer. This hypothesis was empowered by calculation of binding energies. Additionally, we found that the protein of study is significantly richer in cysteine residues, which may be the cause for its activity loss shortly after cell lysis. Furthermore, we evaluated the influence of the loop insert, identified exclusively in the Symbiodinium sp. protein, on the functionality of the recombinantly expressed R. rubrum Rubisco. All these findings shed new light onto dinoflagellate Rubisco and may help in future obtainment of a native, active enzyme.
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Bouvier JW, Emms DM, Rhodes T, Bolton JS, Brasnett A, Eddershaw A, Nielsen JR, Unitt A, Whitney SM, Kelly S. Rubisco Adaptation Is More Limited by Phylogenetic Constraint Than by Catalytic Trade-off. Mol Biol Evol 2021; 38:2880-2896. [PMID: 33739416 PMCID: PMC8233502 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Rubisco assimilates CO2 to form the sugars that fuel life on earth. Correlations between rubisco kinetic traits across species have led to the proposition that rubisco adaptation is highly constrained by catalytic trade-offs. However, these analyses did not consider the phylogenetic context of the enzymes that were analyzed. Thus, it is possible that the correlations observed were an artefact of the presence of phylogenetic signal in rubisco kinetics and the phylogenetic relationship between the species that were sampled. Here, we conducted a phylogenetically resolved analysis of rubisco kinetics and show that there is a significant phylogenetic signal in rubisco kinetic traits. We re-evaluated the extent of catalytic trade-offs accounting for this phylogenetic signal and found that all were attenuated. Following phylogenetic correction, the largest catalytic trade-offs were observed between the Michaelis constant for CO2 and carboxylase turnover (∼21-37%), and between the Michaelis constants for CO2 and O2 (∼9-19%), respectively. All other catalytic trade-offs were substantially attenuated such that they were marginal (<9%) or non-significant. This phylogenetically resolved analysis of rubisco kinetic evolution also identified kinetic changes that occur concomitant with the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. Finally, we show that phylogenetic constraints have played a larger role than catalytic trade-offs in limiting the evolution of rubisco kinetics. Thus, although there is strong evidence for some catalytic trade-offs, rubisco adaptation has been more limited by phylogenetic constraint than by the combined action of all catalytic trade-offs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques W Bouvier
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - David M Emms
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy Rhodes
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Jai S Bolton
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amelia Brasnett
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Alice Eddershaw
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jochem R Nielsen
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anastasia Unitt
- Doctoral Training Centre, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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26
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Lin MT, Orr DJ, Worrall D, Parry MAJ, Carmo-Silva E, Hanson MR. A procedure to introduce point mutations into the Rubisco large subunit gene in wild-type plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 106:876-887. [PMID: 33576096 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic inefficiencies limit the productivity and sustainability of crop production and the resilience of agriculture to future societal and environmental challenges. Rubisco is a key target for improvement as it plays a central role in carbon fixation during photosynthesis and is remarkably inefficient. Introduction of mutations to the chloroplast-encoded Rubisco large subunit rbcL is of particular interest for improving the catalytic activity and efficiency of the enzyme. However, manipulation of rbcL is hampered by its location in the plastome, with many species recalcitrant to plastome transformation, and by the plastid's efficient repair system, which can prevent effective maintenance of mutations introduced with homologous recombination. Here we present a system where the introduction of a number of silent mutations into rbcL within the model plant Nicotiana tabacum facilitates simplified screening via additional restriction enzyme sites. This system was used to successfully generate a range of transplastomic lines from wild-type N. tabacum with stable point mutations within rbcL in 40% of the transformants, allowing assessment of the effect of these mutations on Rubisco assembly and activity. With further optimization the approach offers a viable way forward for mutagenic testing of Rubisco function in planta within tobacco and modification of rbcL in other crops where chloroplast transformation is feasible. The transformation strategy could also be applied to introduce point mutations in other chloroplast-encoded genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myat T Lin
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
| | - Douglas J Orr
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Dawn Worrall
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Elizabete Carmo-Silva
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Maureen R Hanson
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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Aluko OO, Li C, Wang Q, Liu H. Sucrose Utilization for Improved Crop Yields: A Review Article. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:4704. [PMID: 33946791 PMCID: PMC8124652 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22094704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthetic carbon converted to sucrose is vital for plant growth. Sucrose acts as a signaling molecule and a primary energy source that coordinates the source and sink development. Alteration in source-sink balance halts the physiological and developmental processes of plants, since plant growth is mostly triggered when the primary assimilates in the source leaf balance with the metabolic needs of the heterotrophic sinks. To measure up with the sink organ's metabolic needs, the improvement of photosynthetic carbon to synthesis sucrose, its remobilization, and utilization at the sink level becomes imperative. However, environmental cues that influence sucrose balance within these plant organs, limiting positive yield prospects, have also been a rising issue over the past few decades. Thus, this review discusses strategies to improve photosynthetic carbon assimilation, the pathways actively involved in the transport of sucrose from source to sink organs, and their utilization at the sink organ. We further emphasize the impact of various environmental cues on sucrose transport and utilization, and the strategic yield improvement approaches under such conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oluwaseun Olayemi Aluko
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China; (O.O.A.); (C.L.)
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Chuanzong Li
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China; (O.O.A.); (C.L.)
- Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
| | - Qian Wang
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China; (O.O.A.); (C.L.)
| | - Haobao Liu
- Tobacco Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Qingdao 266101, China; (O.O.A.); (C.L.)
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28
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Synthetic Biology Approaches To Enhance Microalgal Productivity. Trends Biotechnol 2021; 39:1019-1036. [PMID: 33541719 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The major bottleneck in commercializing biofuels and other commodities produced by microalgae is the high cost associated with phototrophic cultivation. Improving microalgal productivities could be a solution to this problem. Synthetic biology methods have recently been used to engineer the downstream production pathways in several microalgal strains. However, engineering upstream photosynthetic and carbon fixation metabolism to enhance growth, productivity, and yield has barely been explored in microalgae. We describe strategies to improve the generation of reducing power from light, as well as to improve the assimilation of CO2 by either the native Calvin cycle or synthetic alternatives. Overall, we are optimistic that recent technological advances will prompt long-awaited breakthroughs in microalgal research.
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29
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Whitney SM, Sharwood RE. Rubisco Engineering by Plastid Transformation and Protocols for Assessing Expression. Methods Mol Biol 2021; 2317:195-214. [PMID: 34028770 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-1472-3_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The assimilation of CO2 within chloroplasts is catalyzed by the bifunctional enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, Rubisco. Within higher plants the Rubisco large subunit gene, rbcL, is encoded in the plastid genome, while the Rubisco small subunit gene, RbcS is coded in the nucleus by a multigene family. Rubisco is considered a poor catalyst due to its slow turnover rate and its additional fixation of O2 that can result in wasteful loss of carbon through the energy requiring photorespiratory cycle. Improving the carboxylation efficiency and CO2/O2 selectivity of Rubisco within higher plants has been a long term goal which has been greatly advanced in recent times using plastid transformation techniques. Here we present experimental methodologies for efficiently engineering Rubisco in the plastids of a tobacco master line and analyzing leaf Rubisco content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Spencer M Whitney
- Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, College of Science, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, College of Science, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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30
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Cummins PL. The Coevolution of RuBisCO, Photorespiration, and Carbon Concentrating Mechanisms in Higher Plants. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:662425. [PMID: 34539685 PMCID: PMC8440988 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.662425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) is the carbon-fixing enzyme present in most photosynthetic organisms, converting CO2 into organic matter. Globally, photosynthetic efficiency in terrestrial plants has become increasingly challenged in recent decades due to a rapid increase in atmospheric CO2 and associated changes toward warmer and dryer environments. Well adapted for these new climatic conditions, the C4 photosynthetic pathway utilizes carbon concentrating mechanisms to increase CO2 concentrations surrounding RuBisCO, suppressing photorespiration from the oxygenase catalyzed reaction with O2. The energy efficiency of C3 photosynthesis, from which the C4 pathway evolved, is thought to rely critically on an uninterrupted supply of chloroplast CO2. Part of the homeostatic mechanism that maintains this constancy of supply involves the CO2 produced as a byproduct of photorespiration in a negative feedback loop. Analyzing the database of RuBisCO kinetic parameters, we suggest that in genera (Flaveria and Panicum) for which both C3 and C4 examples are available, the C4 pathway evolved only from C3 ancestors possessing much lower than the average carboxylase specificity relative to that of the oxygenase reaction (S C/O=S C/S O), and hence, the higher CO2 levels required for development of the photorespiratory CO2 pump (C2 photosynthesis) essential in the initial stages of C4 evolution, while in the later stage (final optimization phase in the Flaveria model) increased CO2 turnover may have occurred, which would have been supported by the higher CO2 levels. Otherwise, C4 RuBisCO kinetic traits remain little changed from the ancestral C3 species. At the opposite end of the spectrum, C3 plants (from Limonium) with higher than average S C/O, which may be associated with the ability of increased CO2, relative to O2, affinity to offset reduced photorespiration and chloroplast CO2 levels, can tolerate high stress environments. It is suggested that, instead of inherently constrained by its kinetic mechanism, RuBisCO possesses the extensive kinetic plasticity necessary for adaptation to changes in photorespiration that occur in the homeostatic regulation of CO2 supply under a broad range of abiotic environmental conditions.
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31
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Newkirk GM, de Allende P, Jinkerson RE, Giraldo JP. Nanotechnology Approaches for Chloroplast Biotechnology Advancements. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:691295. [PMID: 34381480 PMCID: PMC8351593 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.691295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic organisms are sources of sustainable foods, renewable biofuels, novel biopharmaceuticals, and next-generation biomaterials essential for modern society. Efforts to improve the yield, variety, and sustainability of products dependent on chloroplasts are limited by the need for biotechnological approaches for high-throughput chloroplast transformation, monitoring chloroplast function, and engineering photosynthesis across diverse plant species. The use of nanotechnology has emerged as a novel approach to overcome some of these limitations. Nanotechnology is enabling advances in the targeted delivery of chemicals and genetic elements to chloroplasts, nanosensors for chloroplast biomolecules, and nanotherapeutics for enhancing chloroplast performance. Nanotechnology-mediated delivery of DNA to the chloroplast has the potential to revolutionize chloroplast synthetic biology by allowing transgenes, or even synthesized DNA libraries, to be delivered to a variety of photosynthetic species. Crop yield improvements could be enabled by nanomaterials that enhance photosynthesis, increase tolerance to stresses, and act as nanosensors for biomolecules associated with chloroplast function. Engineering isolated chloroplasts through nanotechnology and synthetic biology approaches are leading to a new generation of plant-based biomaterials able to self-repair using abundant CO2 and water sources and are powered by renewable sunlight energy. Current knowledge gaps of nanotechnology-enabled approaches for chloroplast biotechnology include precise mechanisms for entry into plant cells and organelles, limited understanding about nanoparticle-based chloroplast transformations, and the translation of lab-based nanotechnology tools to the agricultural field with crop plants. Future research in chloroplast biotechnology mediated by the merging of synthetic biology and nanotechnology approaches can yield tools for precise control and monitoring of chloroplast function in vivo and ex vivo across diverse plant species, allowing increased plant productivity and turning plants into widely available sustainable technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Newkirk
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Pedro de Allende
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Robert E. Jinkerson
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Juan Pablo Giraldo
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Juan Pablo Giraldo,
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32
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Ng J, Guo Z, Mueller-Cajar O. Rubisco activase requires residues in the large subunit N terminus to remodel inhibited plant Rubisco. J Biol Chem 2020; 295:16427-16435. [PMID: 32948656 PMCID: PMC7705312 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.ra120.015759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
The photosynthetic CO2 fixing enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) forms dead-end inhibited complexes while binding multiple sugar phosphates, including its substrate ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate. Rubisco can be rescued from this inhibited form by molecular chaperones belonging to the ATPases associated with diverse cellular activities (AAA+ proteins) termed Rubisco activases (Rcas). The mechanism of green-type Rca found in higher plants has proved elusive, in part because until recently higher-plant Rubiscos could not be expressed recombinantly. Identifying the interaction sites between Rubisco and Rca is critical to formulate mechanistic hypotheses. Toward that end here we purify and characterize a suite of 33 Arabidopsis Rubisco mutants for their ability to be activated by Rca. Mutation of 17 surface-exposed large subunit residues did not yield variants that were perturbed in their interaction with Rca. In contrast, we find that Rca activity is highly sensitive to truncations and mutations in the conserved N terminus of the Rubisco large subunit. Large subunits lacking residues 1-4 are functional Rubiscos but cannot be activated. Both T5A and T7A substitutions result in functional carboxylases that are poorly activated by Rca, indicating the side chains of these residues form a critical interaction with the chaperone. Many other AAA+ proteins function by threading macromolecules through a central pore of a disc-shaped hexamer. Our results are consistent with a model in which Rca transiently threads the Rubisco large subunit N terminus through the axial pore of the AAA+ hexamer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jediael Ng
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Zhijun Guo
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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33
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Orr DJ, Parry MAJ. Overcoming the limitations of Rubisco: fantasy or realistic prospect? JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 254:153285. [PMID: 32987325 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2020.153285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Orr
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Library Avenue, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK.
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34
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Flamholz AI, Dugan E, Blikstad C, Gleizer S, Ben-Nissan R, Amram S, Antonovsky N, Ravishankar S, Noor E, Bar-Even A, Milo R, Savage DF. Functional reconstitution of a bacterial CO 2 concentrating mechanism in Escherichia coli. eLife 2020; 9:59882. [PMID: 33084575 PMCID: PMC7714395 DOI: 10.7554/elife.59882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Many photosynthetic organisms employ a CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) to increase the rate of CO2 fixation via the Calvin cycle. CCMs catalyze ≈50% of global photosynthesis, yet it remains unclear which genes and proteins are required to produce this complex adaptation. We describe the construction of a functional CCM in a non-native host, achieved by expressing genes from an autotrophic bacterium in an Escherichia coli strain engineered to depend on rubisco carboxylation for growth. Expression of 20 CCM genes enabled E. coli to grow by fixing CO2 from ambient air into biomass, with growth in ambient air depending on the components of the CCM. Bacterial CCMs are therefore genetically compact and readily transplanted, rationalizing their presence in diverse bacteria. Reconstitution enabled genetic experiments refining our understanding of the CCM, thereby laying the groundwork for deeper study and engineering of the cell biology supporting CO2 assimilation in diverse organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avi I Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Eli Dugan
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Cecilia Blikstad
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Shmuel Gleizer
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Roee Ben-Nissan
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Shira Amram
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Niv Antonovsky
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Sumedha Ravishankar
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
| | - Elad Noor
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Arren Bar-Even
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdamGermany
| | - Ron Milo
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, Weizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - David F Savage
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, BerkeleyBerkeleyUnited States
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35
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Gunn LH, Martin Avila E, Birch R, Whitney SM. The dependency of red Rubisco on its cognate activase for enhancing plant photosynthesis and growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:25890-25896. [PMID: 32989135 PMCID: PMC7568259 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2011641117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant photosynthesis and growth are often limited by the activity of the CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco. The broad kinetic diversity of Rubisco in nature is accompanied by differences in the composition and compatibility of the ancillary proteins needed for its folding, assembly, and metabolic regulation. Variations in the protein folding needs of catalytically efficient red algae Rubisco prevent their production in plants. Here, we show this impediment does not extend to Rubisco from Rhodobacter sphaeroides (RsRubisco)-a red-type Rubisco able to assemble in plant chloroplasts. In transplastomic tobRsLS lines expressing a codon optimized Rs-rbcLS operon, the messenger RNA (mRNA) abundance was ∼25% of rbcL transcript and RsRubisco ∼40% the Rubisco content in WT tobacco. To mitigate the low activation status of RsRubisco in tobRsLS (∼23% sites active under ambient CO2), the metabolic repair protein RsRca (Rs-activase) was introduced via nuclear transformation. RsRca production in the tobRsLS::X progeny matched endogenous tobacco Rca levels (∼1 µmol protomer·m2) and enhanced RsRubisco activation to 75% under elevated CO2 (1%, vol/vol) growth. Accordingly, the rate of photosynthesis and growth in the tobRsLS::X lines were improved >twofold relative to tobRsLS. Other tobacco lines producing RsRubisco containing alternate diatom and red algae S-subunits were nonviable as CO2-fixation rates (kcatc) were reduced >95% and CO2/O2 specificity impaired 30-50%. We show differences in hybrid and WT RsRubisco biogenesis in tobacco correlated with assembly in Escherichia coli advocating use of this bacterium to preevaluate the kinetic and chloroplast compatibility of engineered RsRubisco, an isoform amenable to directed evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura H Gunn
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Elena Martin Avila
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia
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36
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Davidi D, Shamshoum M, Guo Z, Bar‐On YM, Prywes N, Oz A, Jablonska J, Flamholz A, Wernick DG, Antonovsky N, de Pins B, Shachar L, Hochhauser D, Peleg Y, Albeck S, Sharon I, Mueller‐Cajar O, Milo R. Highly active rubiscos discovered by systematic interrogation of natural sequence diversity. EMBO J 2020; 39:e104081. [PMID: 32500941 PMCID: PMC7507306 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2019104081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
CO2 is converted into biomass almost solely by the enzyme rubisco. The poor carboxylation properties of plant rubiscos have led to efforts that made it the most kinetically characterized enzyme, yet these studies focused on < 5% of its natural diversity. Here, we searched for fast-carboxylating variants by systematically mining genomic and metagenomic data. Approximately 33,000 unique rubisco sequences were identified and clustered into ≈ 1,000 similarity groups. We then synthesized, purified, and biochemically tested the carboxylation rates of 143 representatives, spanning all clusters of form-II and form-II/III rubiscos. Most variants (> 100) were active in vitro, with the fastest having a turnover number of 22 ± 1 s-1 -sixfold faster than the median plant rubisco and nearly twofold faster than the fastest measured rubisco to date. Unlike rubiscos from plants and cyanobacteria, the fastest variants discovered here are homodimers and exhibit a much simpler folding and activation kinetics. Our pipeline can be utilized to explore the kinetic space of other enzymes of interest, allowing us to get a better view of the biosynthetic potential of the biosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Davidi
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
- Present address:
Department of GeneticsHarvard Medical SchoolBostonMAUSA
| | - Melina Shamshoum
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Zhijun Guo
- School of Biological SciencesNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Yinon M Bar‐On
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Noam Prywes
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - Aia Oz
- Migal Galilee Research InstituteKiryat ShmonaIsrael
- Tel Hai CollegeUpper GalileeIsrael
| | - Jagoda Jablonska
- Department of Biomolecular SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Avi Flamholz
- Department of Molecular and Cell BiologyUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyCAUSA
| | - David G Wernick
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
- Present address:
BASF Enzymes LLCSan DiegoCAUSA
| | - Niv Antonovsky
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
- Present address:
Laboratory of Genetically Encoded Small MoleculesThe Rockefeller UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Benoit de Pins
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Lior Shachar
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Dina Hochhauser
- Department of Molecular GeneticsWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Yoav Peleg
- Department of Life Sciences Core FacilitiesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Shira Albeck
- Department of Life Sciences Core FacilitiesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
| | - Itai Sharon
- Migal Galilee Research InstituteKiryat ShmonaIsrael
- Tel Hai CollegeUpper GalileeIsrael
| | | | - Ron Milo
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesWeizmann Institute of ScienceRehovotIsrael
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García-García JD, Joshi J, Patterson JA, Trujillo-Rodriguez L, Reisch CR, Javanpour AA, Liu CC, Hanson AD. Potential for Applying Continuous Directed Evolution to Plant Enzymes: An Exploratory Study. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:E179. [PMID: 32899502 PMCID: PMC7555113 DOI: 10.3390/life10090179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant evolution has produced enzymes that may not be optimal for maximizing yield and quality in today's agricultural environments and plant biotechnology applications. By improving enzyme performance, it should be possible to alleviate constraints on yield and quality currently imposed by kinetic properties or enzyme instability. Enzymes can be optimized more quickly than naturally possible by applying directed evolution, which entails mutating a target gene in vitro and screening or selecting the mutated gene products for the desired characteristics. Continuous directed evolution is a more efficient and scalable version that accomplishes the mutagenesis and selection steps simultaneously in vivo via error-prone replication of the target gene and coupling of the host cell's growth rate to the target gene's function. However, published continuous systems require custom plasmid assembly, and convenient multipurpose platforms are not available. We discuss two systems suitable for continuous directed evolution of enzymes, OrthoRep in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and EvolvR in Escherichia coli, and our pilot efforts to adapt each system for high-throughput plant enzyme engineering. To test our modified systems, we used the thiamin synthesis enzyme THI4, previously identified as a prime candidate for improvement. Our adapted OrthoRep system shows promise for efficient plant enzyme engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaya Joshi
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Jenelle A. Patterson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
| | - Lidimarie Trujillo-Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA; (L.T.-R.); (C.R.R.)
| | - Christopher R. Reisch
- Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32603, USA; (L.T.-R.); (C.R.R.)
| | - Alex A. Javanpour
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; (A.A.J.); (C.C.L.)
| | - Chang C. Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA; (A.A.J.); (C.C.L.)
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Andrew D. Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA;
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Martin-Avila E, Lim YL, Birch R, Dirk LMA, Buck S, Rhodes T, Sharwood RE, Kapralov MV, Whitney SM. Modifying Plant Photosynthesis and Growth via Simultaneous Chloroplast Transformation of Rubisco Large and Small Subunits. THE PLANT CELL 2020; 32:2898-2916. [PMID: 32647068 PMCID: PMC7474299 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.20.00288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Engineering improved Rubisco for the enhancement of photosynthesis is challenged by the alternate locations of the chloroplast rbcL gene and nuclear RbcS genes. Here we develop an RNAi-RbcS tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) master-line, tobRrΔS, for producing homogenous plant Rubisco by rbcL-rbcS operon chloroplast transformation. Four genotypes encoding alternative rbcS genes and adjoining 5'-intergenic sequences revealed that Rubisco production was highest (50% of the wild type) in the lines incorporating a rbcS gene whose codon use and 5' untranslated-region matched rbcL Additional tobacco genotypes produced here incorporated differing potato (Solanum tuberosum) rbcL-rbcS operons that either encoded one of three mesophyll small subunits (pS1, pS2, and pS3) or the potato trichome pST-subunit. The pS3-subunit caused impairment of potato Rubisco production by ∼15% relative to the lines producing pS1, pS2, or pST However, the βA-βB loop Asn-55-His and Lys-57-Ser substitutions in the pS3-subunit improved carboxylation rates by 13% and carboxylation efficiency (CE) by 17%, relative to potato Rubisco incorporating pS1 or pS2-subunits. Tobacco photosynthesis and growth were most impaired in lines producing potato Rubisco incorporating the pST-subunit, which reduced CE and CO2/O2 specificity 40% and 15%, respectively. Returning the rbcS gene to the plant plastome provides an effective bioengineering chassis for introduction and evaluation of novel homogeneous Rubisco complexes in a whole plant context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Martin-Avila
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Yi-Leen Lim
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Lynnette M A Dirk
- Department of Horticulture, Seed Biology Group, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky 40546-0312
| | - Sally Buck
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Timothy Rhodes
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Maxim V Kapralov
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, United Kingdom
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
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39
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Chaperone Machineries of Rubisco – The Most Abundant Enzyme. Trends Biochem Sci 2020; 45:748-763. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibs.2020.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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40
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Veaudor T, Blanc-Garin V, Chenebault C, Diaz-Santos E, Sassi JF, Cassier-Chauvat C, Chauvat F. Recent Advances in the Photoautotrophic Metabolism of Cyanobacteria: Biotechnological Implications. Life (Basel) 2020; 10:life10050071. [PMID: 32438704 PMCID: PMC7281370 DOI: 10.3390/life10050071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Revised: 05/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyanobacteria constitute the only phylum of oxygen-evolving photosynthetic prokaryotes that shaped the oxygenic atmosphere of our planet. Over time, cyanobacteria have evolved as a widely diverse group of organisms that have colonized most aquatic and soil ecosystems of our planet and constitute a large proportion of the biomass that sustains the biosphere. Cyanobacteria synthesize a vast array of biologically active metabolites that are of great interest for human health and industry, and several model cyanobacteria can be genetically manipulated. Hence, cyanobacteria are regarded as promising microbial factories for the production of chemicals from highly abundant natural resources, e.g., solar energy, CO2, minerals, and waters, eventually coupled to wastewater treatment to save costs. In this review, we summarize new important discoveries on the plasticity of the photoautotrophic metabolism of cyanobacteria, emphasizing the coordinated partitioning of carbon and nitrogen towards growth or compound storage, and the importance of these processes for biotechnological perspectives. We also emphasize the importance of redox regulation (including glutathionylation) on these processes, a subject which has often been overlooked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Veaudor
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
| | - Victoire Blanc-Garin
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
| | - Célia Chenebault
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
| | - Encarnación Diaz-Santos
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
| | - Jean-François Sassi
- Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Centre de Cadarache St Paul Lez, 13108 Durance, France;
| | - Corinne Cassier-Chauvat
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
| | - Franck Chauvat
- Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC), Université Paris-Saclay, CEA, CNRS, 91198 Gif-sur-Yvette, France; (T.V.); (V.B.-G.); (C.C.); (E.D.-S.); (C.C.-C.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +33-1-69-08-78-11
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41
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Furbank RT, Sharwood R, Estavillo GM, Silva-Perez V, Condon AG. Photons to food: genetic improvement of cereal crop photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:2226-2238. [PMID: 32083680 PMCID: PMC7135014 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis has become a major trait of interest for cereal yield improvement as breeders appear to have reached the theoretical genetic limit for harvest index, the mass of grain as a proportion of crop biomass. Yield improvements afforded by the adoption of green revolution dwarfing genes to wheat and rice are becoming exhausted, and improvements in biomass and radiation use efficiency are now sought in these crops. Exploring genetic diversity in photosynthesis is now possible using high-throughput techniques, and low-cost genotyping facilitates discovery of the genetic architecture underlying this variation. Photosynthetic traits have been shown to be highly heritable, and significant variation is present for these traits in available germplasm. This offers hope that breeding for improved photosynthesis and radiation use efficiency in cereal crops is tractable and a useful shorter term adjunct to genetic and genome engineering to boost yield potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert T Furbank
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Robert Sharwood
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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42
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Yoon J, Han Y, Ahn YO, Hong MK, Sung SK. Characterization of HemY-type protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase genes from cyanobacteria and their functioning in transgenic Arabidopsis. PLANT MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2019; 101:561-574. [PMID: 31621006 DOI: 10.1007/s11103-019-00925-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the functions of two cyanobacterial HemY protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO) genes with in vitro and in vivo assays and evaluated their applicability as resistance traits to PPO-inhibiting herbicides. We isolated HemY-type protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO) genes from cyanobacteria, OnPPO gene from Oscillatoria nigro-viridis PCC7112 and HaPPO gene from Halothece sp. PCC7418. The alignment of amino acid sequences as well as phylogenetic analyses conducted showed that OnPPO and HaPPO are classified as HemY-type PPO and are more closely related to plastidic PPOs than to mitochondrial PPOs. The PPO-deficient Escherichia coli BT3 strain, which requires heme supplementation, could obtain normal growth in the absence of heme supplementation when complemented with OnPPO and HaPPO. The enzyme assays of OnPPO, HaPPO, and Arabidopsis thaliana PPO1 (AtPPO1) proteins each revealed different kinetic properties in terms of catalytic efficiency, substrate affinity, and the degree of inhibition by PPO inhibitors. In particular, the catalytic efficiencies (kcat/Km) of OnPPO and HaPPO were approximately twofold higher than that of AtPPO1. The elution profiles of all three PPOs, acquired by size-exclusion chromatography, showed only a single peak with a molecular weight of approximately 52-54 kDa, which corresponds to a monomeric form. Moreover, functional complementation with OnPPO and HaPPO in AtPPO1-silenced Arabidopsis resulted in restored growth, whereas AtPPO1-silenced wild type Arabidopsis suffered necrotic death. In addition, we observed that overexpression of OnPPO and HaPPO in Arabidopsis conferred resistance to the PPO-inhibiting herbicides tiafenacil and saflufenacil. These results suggest that two HemY-type PPOs of cyanobacteria can functionally substitute for plastidic PPO activity in Arabidopsis and can enhance resistance to tiafenacil and saflufenacil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joonseon Yoon
- FarmHannong Co., Ltd., Yeoui-daero 24, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07320, Republic of Korea
| | - Yunjung Han
- FarmHannong Co., Ltd., Yeoui-daero 24, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07320, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ock Ahn
- FarmHannong Co., Ltd., Yeoui-daero 24, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07320, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung-Ki Hong
- FarmHannong Co., Ltd., Yeoui-daero 24, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07320, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Kee Sung
- FarmHannong Co., Ltd., Yeoui-daero 24, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, 07320, Republic of Korea.
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43
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Cummins PL, Kannappan B, Gready JE. Response: Commentary: Directions for Optimization of Photosynthetic Carbon Fixation: RuBisCO's Efficiency May Not Be So Constrained After All. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1426. [PMID: 31824523 PMCID: PMC6884029 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
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44
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Gionfriddo M, De Gara L, Loreto F. Directed Evolution of Plant Processes: Towards a Green (r)Evolution? TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 24:999-1007. [PMID: 31604600 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2019.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Directed evolution (DE) is a powerful approach for generating proteins with new chemical and physical properties. It mimics the principles of Darwinian evolution by imposing selective pressure on a large population of molecules harboring random genetic variation in DNA, such that sequences with specific desirable properties are generated and selected. We propose that combining DE and genome-editing (DE-GE) technologies represents a powerful tool to discover and integrate new traits into plants for agronomic and biotechnological gain. DE-GE has the potential to deliver a new green (r)evolution research platform that can provide novel solutions to major trait delivery aspirations for sustainable agriculture, climate-resilient crops, and improved food security and nutritional quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matteo Gionfriddo
- Unit of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico, University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Sciences, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-DISBA), Piazzale Aldo Moro 7, 00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Laura De Gara
- Unit of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Campus Bio-Medico, University of Rome, Via Álvaro del Portillo 21, 00128 Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesco Loreto
- Department of Biology, Agriculture, and Food Sciences, National Research Council of Italy (CNR-DISBA), Piazzale Aldo Moro 7, 00185 Rome, Italy; Department of Biology, University Federico II, Via Cinthia, 80126 Naples, Italy.
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45
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Zhou Y, Whitney S. Directed Evolution of an Improved Rubisco; In Vitro Analyses to Decipher Fact from Fiction. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20205019. [PMID: 31658746 PMCID: PMC6834295 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20205019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 10/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Inaccuracies in biochemically characterizing the amount and CO2-fixing properties of the photosynthetic enzyme Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylase/oxygenase continue to hamper an accurate evaluation of Rubisco mutants selected by directed evolution. Here, we outline an analytical pipeline for accurately quantifying Rubisco content and kinetics that averts the misinterpretation of directed evolution outcomes. Our study utilizes a new T7-promoter regulated Rubisco Dependent Escherichia coli (RDE3) screen to successfully select for the first Rhodobacter sphaeroides Rubisco (RsRubisco) mutant with improved CO2-fixing properties. The RsRubisco contains four amino acid substitutions in the large subunit (RbcL) and an improved carboxylation rate (kcatC, up 27%), carboxylation efficiency (kcatC/Km for CO2, increased 17%), unchanged CO2/O2 specificity and a 40% lower holoenzyme biogenesis capacity. Biochemical analysis of RsRubisco chimers coding one to three of the altered amino acids showed Lys-83-Gln and Arg-252-Leu substitutions (plant RbcL numbering) together, but not independently, impaired holoenzyme (L8S8) assembly. An N-terminal Val-11-Ile substitution did not affect RsRubisco catalysis or assembly, while a Tyr-345-Phe mutation alone conferred the improved kinetics without an effect on RsRubisco production. This study confirms the feasibility of improving Rubisco by directed evolution using an analytical pipeline that can identify false positives and reliably discriminate carboxylation enhancing amino acids changes from those influencing Rubisco biogenesis (solubility).
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Zhou
- Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia.
| | - Spencer Whitney
- Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, 134 Linnaeus Way, Acton, ACT 0200, Australia.
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46
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Slattery RA, Ort DR. Carbon assimilation in crops at high temperatures. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2019; 42:2750-2758. [PMID: 31046135 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/27/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Global temperatures are rising, and higher rates of temperature increase are projected over land areas that encompass the globe's major agricultural regions. In addition to increased growing season temperatures, heat waves are predicted to become more common and severe. High temperatures can inhibit photosynthetic carbon gain of crop plants and thus threaten productivity, the effects of which may interact with other aspects of climate change. Here, we review the current literature assessing temperature effects on photosynthesis in key crops with special attention to field studies using crop canopy heating technology and in combination with other climate variables. We also discuss the biochemical reactions related to carbon fixation that may limit crop photosynthesis under warming temperatures and the current strategies for adaptation. Important progress has been made on several adaptation strategies demonstrating proof-of-concept for translating improved photosynthesis into higher yields. These are now poised to test in important food crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A Slattery
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
| | - Donald R Ort
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801
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47
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Selection of Cyanobacterial ( Synechococcus sp. Strain PCC 6301) RubisCO Variants with Improved Functional Properties That Confer Enhanced CO 2-Dependent Growth of Rhodobacter capsulatus, a Photosynthetic Bacterium. mBio 2019; 10:mBio.01537-19. [PMID: 31337726 PMCID: PMC6650557 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01537-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
RubisCO catalysis has a significant impact on mitigating greenhouse gas accumulation and CO2 conversion to food, fuel, and other organic compounds required to sustain life. Because RubisCO-dependent CO2 fixation is severely compromised by oxygen inhibition and other physiological constraints, improving RubisCO’s kinetic properties to enhance growth in the presence of atmospheric O2 levels has been a longstanding goal. In this study, RubisCO variants with superior structure-functional properties were selected which resulted in enhanced growth of an autotrophic host organism (R. capsulatus), indicating that RubisCO function was indeed growth limiting. It is evident from these results that genetically engineered RubisCO with kinetically enhanced properties can positively impact growth rates in primary producers. Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is a ubiquitous enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of atmospheric CO2 into organic carbon in primary producers. All naturally occurring RubisCOs have low catalytic turnover rates and are inhibited by oxygen. Evolutionary adaptations of the enzyme and its host organisms to changing atmospheric oxygen concentrations provide an impetus to artificially evolve RubisCO variants under unnatural selective conditions. A RubisCO deletion strain of the nonsulfur purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus was previously used as a heterologous host for directed evolution and suppressor selection studies that led to the identification of a conserved hydrophobic region near the active site where amino acid substitutions selectively impacted the enzyme’s sensitivity to O2. In this study, structural alignments, mutagenesis, suppressor selection, and growth complementation with R. capsulatus under anoxic or oxygenic conditions were used to analyze the importance of semiconserved residues in this region of Synechococcus RubisCO. RubisCO mutant substitutions were identified that provided superior CO2-dependent growth capabilities relative to the wild-type enzyme. Kinetic analyses of the mutant enzymes indicated that enhanced growth performance was traceable to differential interactions of the enzymes with CO2 and O2. Effective residue substitutions also appeared to be localized to two other conserved hydrophobic regions of the holoenzyme. Structural comparisons and similarities indicated that regions identified in this study may be targeted for improvement in RubisCOs from other sources, including crop plants.
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48
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Wilson RH, Hayer-Hartl M, Bracher A. Crystal structure of phosphoribulokinase from Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 6301. ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION F-STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY COMMUNICATIONS 2019; 75:278-289. [PMID: 30950829 DOI: 10.1107/s2053230x19002693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 02/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Phosphoribulokinase (PRK) catalyses the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of ribulose 5-phosphate to give ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate. Regulation of this reaction in response to light controls carbon fixation during photosynthesis. Here, the crystal structure of PRK from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. strain PCC 6301 is presented. The enzyme is dimeric and has an α/β-fold with an 18-stranded β-sheet at its core. Interestingly, a disulfide bond is found between Cys40 and the P-loop residue Cys18, revealing the structural basis for the redox inactivation of PRK activity. A second disulfide bond appears to rigidify the dimer interface and may thereby contribute to regulation by the adaptor protein CP12 and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Wilson
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Manajit Hayer-Hartl
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
| | - Andreas Bracher
- Department of Cellular Biochemistry, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, Am Klopferspitz 18, 82152 Martinsried, Germany
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49
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Conlan B, Birch R, Kelso C, Holland S, De Souza AP, Long SP, Beck JL, Whitney SM. BSD2 is a Rubisco-specific assembly chaperone, forms intermediary hetero-oligomeric complexes, and is nonlimiting to growth in tobacco. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2019; 42:1287-1301. [PMID: 30375663 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 09/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
The folding and assembly of Rubisco large and small subunits into L8 S8 holoenzyme in chloroplasts involves many auxiliary factors, including the chaperone BSD2. Here we identify apparent intermediary Rubisco-BSD2 assembly complexes in the model C3 plant tobacco. We show BSD2 and Rubisco content decrease in tandem with leaf age with approximately half of the BSD2 in young leaves (~70 nmol BSD2 protomer.m2 ) stably integrated in putative intermediary Rubisco complexes that account for <0.2% of the L8 S8 pool. RNAi-silencing BSD2 production in transplastomic tobacco producing bacterial L2 Rubisco had no effect on leaf photosynthesis, cell ultrastructure, or plant growth. Genetic crossing the same RNAi-bsd2 alleles into wild-type tobacco however impaired L8 S8 Rubisco production and plant growth, indicating the only critical function of BSD2 is in Rubisco biogenesis. Agrobacterium mediated transient expression of tobacco, Arabidopsis, or maize BSD2 reinstated Rubisco biogenesis in BSD2-silenced tobacco. Overexpressing BSD2 in tobacco chloroplasts however did not alter Rubisco content, activation status, leaf photosynthesis rate, or plant growth in the field or in the glasshouse at 20°C or 35°C. Our findings indicate BSD2 functions exclusively in Rubisco biogenesis, can efficiently facilitate heterologous plant Rubisco assembly, and is produced in amounts nonlimiting to tobacco growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon Conlan
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Rosemary Birch
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Celine Kelso
- School of Chemistry, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sophie Holland
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Amanda P De Souza
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephen P Long
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Jennifer L Beck
- School of Chemistry, Molecular Horizons, University of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Engqvist MKM, Rabe KS. Applications of Protein Engineering and Directed Evolution in Plant Research. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 179:907-917. [PMID: 30626612 PMCID: PMC6393796 DOI: 10.1104/pp.18.01534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Engineered proteins can be used to optimize desired traits in plants; even though recent advances have resulted in new application areas, certain methodological challenges remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin K M Engqvist
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Kersten S Rabe
- Institute for Biological Interfaces (IBG 1), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Group for Molecular Evolution, Karlsruhe, Germany
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