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Chowardhara B, Saha B, Awasthi JP, Deori BB, Nath R, Roy S, Sarkar S, Santra SC, Hossain A, Moulick D. An assessment of nanotechnology-based interventions for cleaning up toxic heavy metal/metalloid-contaminated agroecosystems: Potentials and issues. CHEMOSPHERE 2024; 359:142178. [PMID: 38704049 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.142178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Heavy metals (HMs) are among the most dangerous environmental variables for a variety of life forms, including crops. Accumulation of HMs in consumables and their subsequent transmission to the food web are serious concerns for scientific communities and policy makers. The function of essential plant cellular macromolecules is substantially hampered by HMs, which eventually have a detrimental effect on agricultural yield. Among these HMs, three were considered, i.e., arsenic, cadmium, and chromium, in this review, from agro-ecosystem perspective. Compared with conventional plant growth regulators, the use of nanoparticles (NPs) is a relatively recent, successful, and promising method among the many methods employed to address or alleviate the toxicity of HMs. The ability of NPs to reduce HM mobility in soil, reduce HM availability, enhance the ability of the apoplastic barrier to prevent HM translocation inside the plant, strengthen the plant's antioxidant system by significantly enhancing the activities of many enzymatic and nonenzymatic antioxidants, and increase the generation of specialized metabolites together support the effectiveness of NPs as stress relievers. In this review article, to assess the efficacy of various NP types in ameliorating HM toxicity in plants, we adopted a 'fusion approach', in which a machine learning-based analysis was used to systematically highlight current research trends based on which an extensive literature survey is planned. A holistic assessment of HMs and NMs was subsequently carried out to highlight the future course of action(s).
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhaben Chowardhara
- Department of Botany, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh-792103, India.
| | - Bedabrata Saha
- Plant Pathology and Weed Research Department, Newe Ya'ar Research Centre, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay-3009500, Israel.
| | - Jay Prakash Awasthi
- Department of Botany, Government College Lamta, Balaghat, Madhya Pradesh 481551, India.
| | - Biswajit Bikom Deori
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science and Technology, Arunachal University of Studies, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh 792103, India.
| | - Ratul Nath
- Department of Life-Science, Dibrugarh University, Dibrugarh, Assam-786004, India.
| | - Swarnendu Roy
- Department of Botany, University of North Bengal, P.O.- NBU, Dist- Darjeeling, West Bengal, 734013, India.
| | - Sukamal Sarkar
- Division of Agronomy, School of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Educational and Research Institute, Narendrapur Campus, Kolkata, India.
| | - Subhas Chandra Santra
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741235, India.
| | - Akbar Hossain
- Division of Soil Science, Bangladesh Wheat and Maize Research Institute, Dinajpur 5200, Bangladesh.
| | - Debojyoti Moulick
- Department of Environmental Science, University of Kalyani, Nadia, West Bengal, 741235, India.
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Using synthetic biology to improve photosynthesis for sustainable food production. J Biotechnol 2022; 359:1-14. [PMID: 36126804 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2022.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is responsible for the primary productivity and maintenance of life on Earth, boosting biological activity and contributing to the maintenance of the environment. In the past, traditional crop improvement was considered sufficient to meet food demands, but the growing demand for food coupled with climate change has modified this scenario over the past decades. However, advances in this area have not focused on photosynthesis per se but rather on fixed carbon partitioning. In short, other approaches must be used to meet an increasing agricultural demand. Thus, several paths may be followed, from modifications in leaf shape and canopy architecture, improving metabolic pathways related to CO2 fixation, the inclusion of metabolic mechanisms from other species, and improvements in energy uptake by plants. Given the recognized importance of photosynthesis, as the basis of the primary productivity on Earth, we here present an overview of the latest advances in attempts to improve plant photosynthetic performance. We focused on points considered key to the enhancement of photosynthesis, including leaf shape development, RuBisCO reengineering, Calvin-Benson cycle optimization, light use efficiency, the introduction of the C4 cycle in C3 plants and the inclusion of other CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs). We further provide compelling evidence that there is still room for further improvements. Finally, we conclude this review by presenting future perspectives and possible new directions on this subject.
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Shamim MJ, Kaga A, Tanaka Y, Yamatani H, Shiraiwa T. Analysis of Physiological Variations and Genetic Architecture for Photosynthetic Capacity of Japanese Soybean Germplasm. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:910527. [PMID: 35845665 PMCID: PMC9278873 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.910527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The culmination of conventional yield improving parameters has widened the margin between food demand and crop yield, leaving the potential yield productivity to be bridged by the manipulation of photosynthetic processes in plants. Efficient strategies to assess photosynthetic capacity in crops need to be developed to identify suitable targets that have the potential to improve photosynthetic efficiencies. Here, we assessed the photosynthetic capacity of the Japanese soybean mini core collection (GmJMC) using a newly developed high-throughput photosynthesis measurement system "MIC-100" to analyze physiological mechanisms and genetic architecture underpinning photosynthesis. K-means clustering of light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat ) classified GmJMC accessions into four distinct clusters with Cluster2 comprised of highly photosynthesizing accessions. Genome-wide association analysis based on the variation of Asat revealed a significant association with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on chromosome 17. Among the candidate genes related to photosynthesis in the genomic region, variation in expression of a gene encoding G protein alpha subunit 1 (GPA1) showed a strong correlation (r = 0.72, p < 0.01) with that of Asat . Among GmJMC accessions, GmJMC47 was characterized by the highest Asat , stomatal conductance (gs ), stomatal density (SDensity ), electron transfer rate (ETR), and light use efficiency of photosystem II (Fv'/Fm') and the lowest non-photochemical quenching [NPQ(t)], indicating that GmJMC47 has greater CO2 supply and efficient light-harvesting systems. These results provide strong evidence that exploration of plant germplasm is a useful strategy to unlock the potential of resource use efficiencies for photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Jan Shamim
- Laboratory of Crop Science, Division of Agronomy and Horticultural Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Akito Kaga
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Yu Tanaka
- Laboratory of Crop Science, Division of Agronomy and Horticultural Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Yamatani
- Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Tatsuhiko Shiraiwa
- Laboratory of Crop Science, Division of Agronomy and Horticultural Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Sarraf M, Deamici KM, Taimourya H, Islam M, Kataria S, Raipuria RK, Abdi G, Brestic M. Effect of Magnetopriming on Photosynthetic Performance of Plants. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22179353. [PMID: 34502258 PMCID: PMC8431099 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22179353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetopriming has emerged as a promising seed-priming method, improving seed vigor, plant performance and productivity under both normal and stressed conditions. Various recent reports have demonstrated that improved photosynthesis can lead to higher biomass accumulation and overall crop yield. The major focus of the present review is magnetopriming-based, improved growth parameters, which ultimately favor increased photosynthetic performance. The plants originating from magnetoprimed seeds showed increased plant height, leaf area, fresh weight, thick midrib and minor veins. Similarly, chlorophyll and carotenoid contents, efficiency of PSII, quantum yield of electron transport, stomatal conductance, and activities of carbonic anhydrase (CA), Rubisco and PEP-carboxylase enzymes are enhanced with magnetopriming of the seeds. In addition, a higher fluorescence yield at the J-I-P phase in polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence (OJIP) transient curves was observed in plants originating from magnetoprimed seeds. Here, we have presented an overview of available studies supporting the magnetopriming-based improvement of various parameters determining the photosynthetic performance of crop plants, which consequently increases crop yield. Additionally, we suggest the need for more in-depth molecular analysis in the future to shed light upon hidden regulatory mechanisms involved in magnetopriming-based, improved photosynthetic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sarraf
- Department of Horticulture Science, Shiraz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shiraz 71987-74731, Iran;
| | | | - Houda Taimourya
- Department of Horticulture, Horticol Complex of Agadir (CHA), Agronomy and Veterinary Institute Hassan II, Agadir 80000, Morocco;
| | - Monirul Islam
- Department of Sustainable Crop Production, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Via Emilia Parmense 84, 29122 Piacenza, Italy;
| | - Sunita Kataria
- School of Biochemistry, Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Khandwa Road, Indore 452001, India
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (M.B.)
| | | | - Gholamreza Abdi
- Department of Biotechnology, Persian Gulf Research Institute, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr 7516913817, Iran;
| | - Marian Brestic
- Department of Plant Physiology, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 01 Nitra, Slovakia
- Department of Botany and Plant Physiology, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food, and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamycka 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
- Correspondence: (S.K.); (M.B.)
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5
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Tan TL, Zulkifli NA, Zaman ASK, Jusoh MB, Yaapar MN, Rashid SA. Impact of photoluminescent carbon quantum dots on photosynthesis efficiency of rice and corn crops. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2021; 162:737-751. [PMID: 33799185 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthesis is one of the most fundamental biochemical processes on earth such that it is vital to the existence of most lives on this planet. In fact, unravelling the potentials in enhancing photosynthetic efficiency and electron transfer process, which are thought to improve plant growth is one of the emerging approaches in tackling modern agricultural shortcomings. In light of this, zero-dimensional carbon quantum dots (CQD) have emerged and garnered much interest in recent years which can enhance photosynthesis by modulating the associated electron transfer process. In this work, CQD was extracted from empty fruit bunch (EFB) biochar using a green acid-free microwave method. The resulting CQD was characterized using HRTEM, PL, UV-Vis and XPS. Typical rice (C3) and corn (C4) crops were selected in the present study in order to compare the significant effect of CQD on the two different photosynthetic pathways of crops. CQD was first introduced into crop via foliar spraying application instead of localised placement of CQD before seedling development. The influence of CQD on the photosynthetic efficiency of rice (C3) and corn (C4) leaves was determined by measuring both carbon dioxide conversion and the stomatal conductance of the leaf. As a result, the introduction of CQD greatly enhanced the photosynthesis in CQD-exposed crops. This is the first study focusing on phylogenetically constrained differences in photosynthetic responses between C3 and C4 crops upon CQD exposure, which gives a better insight into the understanding of photosynthesis process and shows considerable promise in nanomaterial research for sustainable agriculture practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Ling Tan
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Noor Atiqah Zulkifli
- Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | | | - Mashitah Binti Jusoh
- Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Muhammad Nazmin Yaapar
- Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Suraya Abdul Rashid
- Institute of Advanced Technology, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
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6
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PhotoModPlus: A web server for photosynthetic protein prediction from genome neighborhood features. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248682. [PMID: 33730083 PMCID: PMC7968678 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A new web server called PhotoModPlus is presented as a platform for predicting photosynthetic proteins via genome neighborhood networks (GNN) and genome neighborhood-based machine learning. GNN enables users to visualize the overview of the conserved neighboring genes from multiple photosynthetic prokaryotic genomes and provides functional guidance on the query input. In the platform, we also present a new machine learning model utilizing genome neighborhood features for predicting photosynthesis-specific functions based on 24 prokaryotic photosynthesis-related GO terms, namely PhotoModGO. The new model performed better than the sequence-based approaches with an F1 measure of 0.872, based on nested five-fold cross-validation. Finally, we demonstrated the applications of the webserver and the new model in the identification of novel photosynthetic proteins. The server is user-friendly, compatible with all devices, and available at bicep.kmutt.ac.th/photomod.
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Ramos AC, Melo J, de Souza SB, Bertolazi AA, Silva RA, Rodrigues WP, Campostrini E, Olivares FL, Eutrópio FJ, Cruz C, Dias T. Inoculation with the endophytic bacterium Herbaspirillum seropedicae promotes growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice. PLANTA 2020; 252:87. [PMID: 33057912 DOI: 10.1007/s00425-020-03496-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Higher vacuolar proton pump activity may increase plant energy and nutrient use efficiency and provide the nexus between plant inoculation with Herbaspirillum seropedicae and growth promotion. Global change and growing human population are exhausting arable land and resources, including water and fertilizers. We present inoculation with the endophytic plant-growth promoting bacterium (PGPB) Herbaspirillum seropedicae as a strategy for promoting growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency in rice (Oryza sativa L.). Because plant nutrient acquisition is coordinated with photosynthesis and the plant carbon status, we hypothesize that inoculation with H. seropedicae will stimulate proton (H+) pumps, increasing plant growth nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency at low nutrient levels. Plants were inoculated and grown in pots with sterile soil for 90 days. Herbaspirillum seropedicae endophytic colonization was successful and, as hypothesized, inoculation (1) stimulated root vacuolar H+ pumps (vacuolar H+-ATPase and vacuolar H+-PPase), and (2) increased plant growth, nutrient contents and photosynthetic efficiency. The results showed that inoculation with the endophytic bacterium H. seropedicae can promote plant growth, nutrient uptake and photosynthetic efficiency, which will likely result in a more efficient use of resources (nutrients and water) and higher production of nutrient-rich food at reduced economic and environmental costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro C Ramos
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Juliana Melo
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Sávio B de Souza
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Amanda A Bertolazi
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Renderson A Silva
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Weverton P Rodrigues
- Plant Physiology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Eliemar Campostrini
- Plant Physiology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fábio L Olivares
- Cell Tissue and Biology Lab, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF), Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Frederico J Eutrópio
- Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Lab, Universidade Vila Velha (UVV), Vila Velha, ES, Brazil
| | - Cristina Cruz
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Teresa Dias
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal.
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8
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Using energy-efficient synthetic biochemical pathways to bypass photorespiration. Biochem Soc Trans 2020; 47:1805-1813. [PMID: 31754693 DOI: 10.1042/bst20190322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 10/24/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Current crop yields will not be enough to sustain today's diets for a growing global population. As plant photosynthetic efficiency has not reached its theoretical maximum, optimizing photosynthesis is a promising strategy to enhance plant productivity. The low productivity of C3 plants is caused in part by the substantial energetic investments necessary to maintain a high flux through the photorespiratory pathway. Accordingly, lowering the energetic costs of photorespiration to enhance the productivity of C3 crops has been a goal of synthetic plant biology for decades. The use of synthetic bypasses to photorespiration in different plants showed an improvement of photosynthetic performance and growth under laboratory and field conditions, even though in silico predictions suggest that the tested synthetic pathways should confer a minimal or even negative energetic advantage over the wild type photorespiratory pathway. Current strategies increasingly utilize theoretical modeling and new molecular techniques to develop synthetic biochemical pathways that bypass photorespiration, representing a highly promising approach to enhance future plant productivity.
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10
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Alvarez CE, Bovdilova A, Höppner A, Wolff CC, Saigo M, Trajtenberg F, Zhang T, Buschiazzo A, Nagel-Steger L, Drincovich MF, Lercher MJ, Maurino VG. Molecular adaptations of NADP-malic enzyme for its function in C 4 photosynthesis in grasses. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:755-765. [PMID: 31235877 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0451-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
In C4 grasses of agronomical interest, malate shuttled into the bundle sheath cells is decarboxylated mainly by nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADP)-malic enzyme (C4-NADP-ME). The activity of C4-NADP-ME was optimized by natural selection to efficiently deliver CO2 to Rubisco. During its evolution from a plastidic non-photosynthetic NADP-ME, C4-NADP-ME acquired increased catalytic efficiency, tetrameric structure and pH-dependent inhibition by its substrate malate. Here, we identified specific amino acids important for these C4 adaptions based on strict differential conservation of amino acids, combined with solving the crystal structures of maize and sorghum C4-NADP-ME. Site-directed mutagenesis and structural analyses show that Q503, L544 and E339 are involved in catalytic efficiency; E339 confers pH-dependent regulation by malate, F140 is critical for the stabilization of the oligomeric structure and the N-terminal region is involved in tetramerization. Together, the identified molecular adaptations form the basis for the efficient catalysis and regulation of one of the central biochemical steps in C4 metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa E Alvarez
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Anastasiia Bovdilova
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Astrid Höppner
- Center for Structural Studies, Hreinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Christian-Claus Wolff
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Mariana Saigo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Felipe Trajtenberg
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Tao Zhang
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institut of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Jülich, Germany
| | - Alejandro Buschiazzo
- Laboratory of Molecular and Structural Microbiology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
- Integrative Microbiology of Zoonotic Agents, Department of Microbiology, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Luitgard Nagel-Steger
- Institut für Physikalische Biologie, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institut of Complex Systems, Structural Biochemistry (ICS-6), Jülich, Germany
| | - Maria F Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosinteticos y Bioquimicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, University of Rosario, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Martin J Lercher
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Computer Science and Department of Biology, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Veronica G Maurino
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences, Düsseldorf, Germany.
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11
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Éva C, Oszvald M, Tamás L. Current and possible approaches for improving photosynthetic efficiency. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2019; 280:433-440. [PMID: 30824023 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
One of the most important tasks laying ahead today's biotechnology is to improve crop productivity with the aim of meeting increased food and energy demands of humankind. Plant productivity depends on many genetic factors, including life cycle, harvest index, stress tolerance and photosynthetic activity. Many approaches were already tested or suggested to improve either. Limitations of photosynthesis have also been uncovered and efforts been taken to increase its efficiency. Examples include decreasing photosynthetic antennae size, increasing the photosynthetically available light spectrum, countering oxygenase activity of Rubisco by implementing C4 photosynthesis to C3 plants and altering source to sink transport of metabolites. A natural and effective photosynthetic adaptation, the sugar alcohol metabolism got however remarkably little attention in the last years, despite being comparably efficient as C4, and can be considered easier to introduce to new species. We also propose root to shoot carbon-dioxide transport as a means to improve photosynthetic performance and drought tolerance at the same time. Different suggestions and successful examples are covered here for improving plant photosynthesis as well as novel perspectives are presented for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Éva
- Applied Genomics Department, Agricultural Institute, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Martonvásár 2462, Hungary.
| | - Mária Oszvald
- Plant Biology and Crop Science, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - László Tamás
- Department of Plant Physiology and Molecular Plant Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest 1117, Hungary
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12
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South PF, Cavanagh AP, Lopez-Calcagno PE, Raines CA, Ort DR. Optimizing photorespiration for improved crop productivity. JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2018; 60:1217-1230. [PMID: 30126060 DOI: 10.1111/jipb.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
In C3 plants, photorespiration is an energy-expensive process, including the oxygenation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) by ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and the ensuing multi-organellar photorespiratory pathway required to recycle the toxic byproducts and recapture a portion of the fixed carbon. Photorespiration significantly impacts crop productivity through reducing yields in C3 crops by as much as 50% under severe conditions. Thus, reducing the flux through, or improving the efficiency of photorespiration has the potential of large improvements in C3 crop productivity. Here, we review an array of approaches intended to engineer photorespiration in a range of plant systems with the goal of increasing crop productivity. Approaches include optimizing flux through the native photorespiratory pathway, installing non-native alternative photorespiratory pathways, and lowering or even eliminating Rubisco-catalyzed oxygenation of RuBP to reduce substrate entrance into the photorespiratory cycle. Some proposed designs have been successful at the proof of concept level. A plant systems-engineering approach, based on new opportunities available from synthetic biology to implement in silico designs, holds promise for further progress toward delivering more productive crops to farmer's fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul F South
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Amanda P Cavanagh
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | - Christine A Raines
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Donald R Ort
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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13
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Osella AV, Mengarelli DA, Mateos J, Dong S, Yanovsky MJ, Balazadeh S, Valle EM, Zanor MI. FITNESS, a CCT domain-containing protein, deregulates reactive oxygen species levels and leads to fine-tuning trade-offs between reproductive success and defence responses in Arabidopsis. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2018; 41:2328-2341. [PMID: 29852518 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stresses are the major factors that limit productivity in plants. Here, we report on the function of an uncharacterized gene At1g07050, encoding a CCT domain-containing protein, from Arabidopsis thaliana. At1g07050 expression is highly repressed by oxidative stress. We used metabolomics, biochemical, and genomic approaches to analyse performance of transgenic lines with altered expression of At1g07050 under normal and oxidative stress conditions. At1g07050 overexpressing lines showed increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), whereas knock-out mutants exhibited decreased levels of ROS and higher tolerance to oxidative stress generated in the chloroplast. Our results uncover a role for At1g07050 in cellular redox homeostasis controlling H2 O2 levels, due to changes in enzymes, metabolites, and transcripts related to ROS detoxification. Therefore, we call this gene FITNESS. Additionally, several genes such as ACD6, PCC1, and ICS1 related to salicylic acid signalling and defence were found differentially expressed among the lines. Notably, FITNESS absence significantly improved seed yield suggesting an effective fine-tuning trade-off between reproductive success and defence responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Virginia Osella
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET) Ocampo y Esmeralda PREDIO CCT-Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Diego Alberto Mengarelli
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET) Ocampo y Esmeralda PREDIO CCT-Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - Julieta Mateos
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Shuchao Dong
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Marcelo J Yanovsky
- Fundación Instituto Leloir, Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Salma Balazadeh
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Estela Marta Valle
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET) Ocampo y Esmeralda PREDIO CCT-Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
| | - María Inés Zanor
- Instituto de Biología Molecular y Celular de Rosario (IBR-CONICET) Ocampo y Esmeralda PREDIO CCT-Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas (UNR), Rosario, Argentina
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14
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Hüdig M, Schmitz J, Engqvist MKM, Maurino VG. Biochemical control systems for small molecule damage in plants. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2018; 13:e1477906. [PMID: 29944438 PMCID: PMC6103286 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2018.1477906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
As a system, plant metabolism is far from perfect: small molecules (metabolites, cofactors, coenzymes, and inorganic molecules) are frequently damaged by unwanted enzymatic or spontaneous reactions. Here, we discuss the emerging principles in small molecule damage biology. We propose that plants evolved at least three distinct systems to control small molecule damage: (i) repair, which returns a damaged molecule to its original state; (ii) scavenging, which converts reactive molecules to harmless products; and (iii) steering, in which the possible formation of a damaged molecule is suppressed. We illustrate the concept of small molecule damage control in plants by describing specific examples for each of these three categories. We highlight interesting insights that we expect future research will provide on those systems, and we discuss promising strategies to discover new small molecule damage-control systems in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Hüdig
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - J. Schmitz
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M. K. M. Engqvist
- Department of Biology and Biological engineering, Division of Systems and Synthetic Biology, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - V. G. Maurino
- Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Heinrich Heine University, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Düsseldorf, Germany
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15
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Elucidation of photoautotrophic carbon flux topology in Synechocystis PCC 6803 using genome-scale carbon mapping models. Metab Eng 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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16
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Dann M, Leister D. Enhancing (crop) plant photosynthesis by introducing novel genetic diversity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0380. [PMID: 28808099 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Although some elements of the photosynthetic light reactions might appear to be ideal, the overall efficiency of light conversion to biomass has not been optimized during evolution. Because crop plants are depleted of genetic diversity for photosynthesis, efforts to enhance its efficiency with respect to light conversion to yield must generate new variation. In principle, three sources of natural variation are available: (i) rare diversity within extant higher plant species, (ii) photosynthetic variants from algae, and (iii) reconstruction of no longer extant types of plant photosynthesis. Here, we argue for a novel approach that outsources crop photosynthesis to a cyanobacterium that is amenable to adaptive evolution. This system offers numerous advantages, including a short generation time, virtually unlimited population sizes and high mutation rates, together with a versatile toolbox for genetic manipulation. On such a synthetic bacterial platform, 10 000 years of (crop) plant evolution can be recapitulated within weeks. Limitations of this system arise from its unicellular nature, which cannot reproduce all aspects of crop photosynthesis. But successful establishment of such a bacterial host for crop photosynthesis promises not only to enhance the performance of eukaryotic photosynthesis but will also reveal novel facets of the molecular basis of photosynthetic flexibility.This article is part of the themed issue 'Enhancing photosynthesis in crop plants: targets for improvement'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Dann
- Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
| | - Dario Leister
- Plant Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Großhaderner Str. 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Germany
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17
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Habiby O, Nahor O, Israel A, Liberzon A, Golberg A. Exergy efficiency of light conversion into biomass in the macroalga Ulva sp. (Chlorophyta) cultivated under the pulsed light in a photobioreactor. Biotechnol Bioeng 2018. [PMID: 29537063 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Marine macroalgae are a potential feedstock for biorefineries that can reduce dependence on fossil fuels and contribute to bioeconomy. New knowledge and technologies for efficient conversion of solar energy into macroalgae biomass are needed to increase biomass yields and energy conversion efficiency. In this work, we show that the green macroalgae from Ulva sp. can grow under the pulsed light in a photobioreactor with higher exergy conversion efficiency in comparison to cultivation under constant light with the same intensity. In the tested frequencies, 1-40 Hz and duty cycles (DC) 1-100%, DC has a stronger impact on the growth rate than frequency. The efficiency of light transformation into biomass increased with decreasing DC. Pulsating with DC 20% led to 60% of the biomass chemical energy yield for the respective constant light (DC 100%). Models of Ulva sp. growth rate and exergy conversion efficiency as a function of pulsating light parameters were developed. These results open new directions to enhance solar to chemical energy conversion through macroalgae by controlling the light distribution in the macroalgal biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oz Habiby
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Omri Nahor
- Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Alvaro Israel
- Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research, Ltd. The National Institute of Oceanography, Haifa, Israel
| | | | - Alexander Golberg
- Porter School of Environmental Studies, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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18
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Müller GL, Lara MV, Oitaven P, Andreo CS, Maurino VG, Drincovich MF. Improved water use efficiency and shorter life cycle of Nicotiana tabacum due to modification of guard and vascular companion cells. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4380. [PMID: 29531244 PMCID: PMC5847574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22431-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe droughts are predicted for the twenty-first century, which contrast with the increased demand for plant materials. Thus, to sustain future generations, a great challenge is to improve crop yield and water use efficiency (WUE), which is the carbon gained per water lost. Here, expression of maize NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME) in the guard and vascular companion cells of Nicotiana tabacum results in enhanced WUE, earlier flowering and shorter life cycle. Transgenic lines exhibit reduced stomatal aperture than wild-type (WT). Nevertheless, an increased net CO2 fixation rate is observed, which results in less water consumption and more biomass production per water used. Transgenic lines export sugars to the phloem at higher rate than WT, which leads to higher sugars levels in phloem exudates and veins. Leaf quantitative proteomic profiling revealed drastic differences in proteins related to cell cycle, flowering, hormone signaling and carbon metabolism between transgenic lines and WT. We propose that the increased sugar export from leaves in the transgenic lines alleviates sugar negative feedback on photosynthesis and thus, stomatal closure takes place without a penalty in CO2 assimilation rate. This results in improved WUE and accelerated overall life cycle, key traits for plant productivity in the near future world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela L Müller
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - María V Lara
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Pablo Oitaven
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Carlos S Andreo
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Argentina
| | - Verónica G Maurino
- Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Universitätsstraße 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - María F Drincovich
- Centro de Estudios Fotosintéticos y Bioquímicos (CEFOBI-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Bioquímicas y Farmacéuticas, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, Suipacha 531, 2000, Rosario, Argentina.
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19
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Orr DJ, Pereira AM, da Fonseca Pereira P, Pereira-Lima ÍA, Zsögön A, Araújo WL. Engineering photosynthesis: progress and perspectives. F1000Res 2017; 6:1891. [PMID: 29263782 PMCID: PMC5658708 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.12181.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Photosynthesis is the basis of primary productivity on the planet. Crop breeding has sustained steady improvements in yield to keep pace with population growth increases. Yet these advances have not resulted from improving the photosynthetic process
per se but rather of altering the way carbon is partitioned within the plant. Mounting evidence suggests that the rate at which crop yields can be boosted by traditional plant breeding approaches is wavering, and they may reach a “yield ceiling” in the foreseeable future. Further increases in yield will likely depend on the targeted manipulation of plant metabolism. Improving photosynthesis poses one such route, with simulations indicating it could have a significant transformative influence on enhancing crop productivity. Here, we summarize recent advances of alternative approaches for the manipulation and enhancement of photosynthesis and their possible application for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J Orr
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Auderlan M Pereira
- Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paula da Fonseca Pereira
- Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ítalo A Pereira-Lima
- Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Agustin Zsögön
- Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Wagner L Araújo
- Max-Planck Partner Group at the Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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20
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Antonovsky N, Gleizer S, Milo R. Engineering carbon fixation in E. coli : from heterologous RuBisCO expression to the Calvin–Benson–Bassham cycle. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 47:83-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Heckmann D, Schlüter U, Weber APM. Machine Learning Techniques for Predicting Crop Photosynthetic Capacity from Leaf Reflectance Spectra. MOLECULAR PLANT 2017; 10:878-890. [PMID: 28461269 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2017.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2017] [Revised: 03/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Harnessing natural variation in photosynthetic capacity is a promising route toward yield increases, but physiological phenotyping is still too laborious for large-scale genetic screens. Here, we evaluate the potential of leaf reflectance spectroscopy to predict parameters of photosynthetic capacity in Brassica oleracea and Zea mays, a C3 and a C4 crop, respectively. To this end, we systematically evaluated properties of reflectance spectra and found that they are surprisingly similar over a wide range of species. We assessed the performance of a wide range of machine learning methods and selected recursive feature elimination on untransformed spectra followed by partial least squares regression as the preferred algorithm that yielded the highest predictive power. Learning curves of this algorithm suggest optimal species-specific sample sizes. Using the Brassica relative Moricandia, we evaluated the model transferability between species and found that cross-species performance cannot be predicted from phylogenetic proximity. The final intra-species models predict crop photosynthetic capacity with high accuracy. Based on the estimated model accuracy, we simulated the use of the models in selective breeding experiments, and showed that high-throughput photosynthetic phenotyping using our method has the potential to greatly improve breeding success. Our results indicate that leaf reflectance phenotyping is an efficient method for improving crop photosynthetic capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Heckmann
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute for Computer Science, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Urte Schlüter
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) "From Complex Traits towards Synthetic Modules", 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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22
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Sweetlove LJ, Nielsen J, Fernie AR. Engineering central metabolism - a grand challenge for plant biologists. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 90:749-763. [PMID: 28004455 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Revised: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The goal of increasing crop productivity and nutrient-use efficiency is being addressed by a number of ambitious research projects seeking to re-engineer photosynthetic biochemistry. Many of these projects will require the engineering of substantial changes in fluxes of central metabolism. However, as has been amply demonstrated in simpler systems such as microbes, central metabolism is extremely difficult to rationally engineer. This is because of multiple layers of regulation that operate to maintain metabolic steady state and because of the highly connected nature of central metabolism. In this review we discuss new approaches for metabolic engineering that have the potential to address these problems and dramatically improve the success with which we can rationally engineer central metabolism in plants. In particular, we advocate the adoption of an iterative 'design-build-test-learn' cycle using fast-to-transform model plants as test beds. This approach can be realised by coupling new molecular tools to incorporate multiple transgenes in nuclear and plastid genomes with computational modelling to design the engineering strategy and to understand the metabolic phenotype of the engineered organism. We also envisage that mutagenesis could be used to fine-tune the balance between the endogenous metabolic network and the introduced enzymes. Finally, we emphasise the importance of considering the plant as a whole system and not isolated organs: the greatest increase in crop productivity will be achieved if both source and sink metabolism are engineered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee J Sweetlove
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Jens Nielsen
- Department of Biology and Biological Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, SE41128, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability, Technical University of Denmark, DK2800, Lyngby, Denmark
- Science for Life Laboratory, Royal Institute of Technology, SE17121, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
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23
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Li Y, Heckmann D, Lercher MJ, Maurino VG. Combining genetic and evolutionary engineering to establish C4 metabolism in C3 plants. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:117-125. [PMID: 27660481 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
To feed a world population projected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, the productivity of major crops must be increased by at least 50%. One potential route to boost the productivity of cereals is to equip them genetically with the 'supercharged' C4 type of photosynthesis; however, the necessary genetic modifications are not sufficiently understood for the corresponding genetic engineering programme. In this opinion paper, we discuss a strategy to solve this problem by developing a new paradigm for plant breeding. We propose combining the bioengineering of well-understood traits with subsequent evolutionary engineering, i.e. mutagenesis and artificial selection. An existing mathematical model of C3-C4 evolution is used to choose the most promising path towards this goal. Based on biomathematical simulations, we engineer Arabidopsis thaliana plants that express the central carbon-fixing enzyme Rubisco only in bundle sheath cells (Ru-BSC plants), the localization characteristic for C4 plants. This modification will initially be deleterious, forcing the Ru-BSC plants into a fitness valley from where previously inaccessible adaptive steps towards C4 photosynthesis become accessible through fitness-enhancing mutations. Mutagenized Ru-BSC plants are then screened for improved photosynthesis, and are expected to respond to imposed artificial selection pressures by evolving towards C4 anatomy and biochemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanyuan Li
- Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute for Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - David Heckmann
- Institute for Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin J Lercher
- Institute for Computer Science, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Veronica G Maurino
- Institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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24
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Ipekoğlu EM, Göçmen K, Öz MT, Gürgan M, Yücel M. Cloning and heterologous expression of chlorophyll a synthase in Rhodobacter sphaeroides. J Basic Microbiol 2016; 57:238-244. [PMID: 27902845 DOI: 10.1002/jobm.201600580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Rhodobacter sphaeroides is a purple non-sulfur bacterium which photoheterotrophically produces hydrogen from organic acids under anaerobic conditions. A gene coding for putative chlorophyll a synthase (chlG) from cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus was amplified by nested polymerase chain reaction and cloned into an inducible-expression plasmid which was subsequently transferred to R. sphaeroides for heterologous expression. Induced expression of chlG in R. sphaeroides led to changes in light absorption spectrum within 400-700 nm. The hydrogen production capacity of the mutant strain was evaluated on hydrogen production medium with 15 mM malate and 2 mM glutamate. Hydrogen yield and productivity were increased by 13.6 and 22.6%, respectively, compared to the wild type strain. The results demonstrated the feasibility of genetic engineering to combine chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll biosynthetic pathways which utilize common intermediates. Heterologous expression of key enzymes from biosynthetic pathways of various pigments is proposed here as a general strategy to improve absorption spectra and yield of photosynthesis and hydrogen gas production in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre M Ipekoğlu
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Koray Göçmen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mehmet T Öz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey.,Department of Agronomy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
| | - Muazzez Gürgan
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Meral Yücel
- Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
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25
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Bellasio C, Beerling DJ, Griffiths H. An Excel tool for deriving key photosynthetic parameters from combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence: theory and practice. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2016; 39:1180-97. [PMID: 25923517 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2014] [Revised: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Combined photosynthetic gas exchange and modulated fluorometres are widely used to evaluate physiological characteristics associated with phenotypic and genotypic variation, whether in response to genetic manipulation or resource limitation in natural vegetation or crops. After describing relatively simple experimental procedures, we present the theoretical background to the derivation of photosynthetic parameters, and provide a freely available Excel-based fitting tool (EFT) that will be of use to specialists and non-specialists alike. We use data acquired in concurrent variable fluorescence-gas exchange experiments, where A/Ci and light-response curves have been measured under ambient and low oxygen. From these data, the EFT derives light respiration, initial PSII (photosystem II) photochemical yield, initial quantum yield for CO2 fixation, fraction of incident light harvested by PSII, initial quantum yield for electron transport, electron transport rate, rate of photorespiration, stomatal limitation, Rubisco (ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) rate of carboxylation and oxygenation, Rubisco specificity factor, mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion, light and CO2 compensation point, Rubisco apparent Michaelis-Menten constant, and Rubisco CO2 -saturated carboxylation rate. As an example, a complete analysis of gas exchange data on tobacco plants is provided. We also discuss potential measurement problems and pitfalls, and suggest how such empirical data could subsequently be used to parameterize predictive photosynthetic models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bellasio
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - David J Beerling
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Howard Griffiths
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
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26
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Betti M, Bauwe H, Busch FA, Fernie AR, Keech O, Levey M, Ort DR, Parry MAJ, Sage R, Timm S, Walker B, Weber APM. Manipulating photorespiration to increase plant productivity: recent advances and perspectives for crop improvement. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2977-88. [PMID: 26951371 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Recycling of the 2-phosphoglycolate generated by the oxygenase reaction of Rubisco requires a complex and energy-consuming set of reactions collectively known as the photorespiratory cycle. Several approaches aimed at reducing the rates of photorespiratory energy or carbon loss have been proposed, based either on screening for natural variation or by means of genetic engineering. Recent work indicates that plant yield can be substantially improved by the alteration of photorespiratory fluxes or by engineering artificial bypasses to photorespiration. However, there is also evidence indicating that, under certain environmental and/or nutritional conditions, reduced photorespiratory capacity may be detrimental to plant performance. Here we summarize recent advances obtained in photorespiratory engineering and discuss prospects for these advances to be transferred to major crops to help address the globally increasing demand for food and biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Betti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Hermann Bauwe
- Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Florian A Busch
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Olivier Keech
- Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science Centre, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Myles Levey
- Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Donald R Ort
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Rowan Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Willcocks Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Stefan Timm
- Plant Physiology Department, University of Rostock, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Berkley Walker
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service, Urbana, IL 61801, USA Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Science (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Timm S, Florian A, Fernie AR, Bauwe H. The regulatory interplay between photorespiration and photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2016; 67:2923-9. [PMID: 26969745 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erw083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The Calvin-Benson cycle and the photorespiratory pathway form the photosynthetic-photorespiratory supercycle that is responsible for nearly all biological CO2 fixation on Earth. In essence, supplementation with the photorespiratory pathway is necessary because the CO2-fixing enzyme of the Calvin-Benson cycle, ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco), catalyses several side reactions including the oxygenation of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, which produces the noxious metabolite phosphoglycolate. The photorespiratory pathway recycles the phosphoglycolate to 3-phosphoglycerate and in this way allows the Calvin-Benson cycle to operate in the presence of molecular oxygen generated by oxygenic photosynthesis. While the carbon flow through the individual and combined subprocesses is well known, information on their regulatory interaction is very limited. Regulatory feedback from the photorespiratory pathway to the Calvin-Benson cycle can be presumed from numerous inhibitor experiments and was demonstrated in recent studies with transgenic plants. This complexity illustrates that we are not yet ready to rationally engineer photosynthesis by altering photorespiration since despite massive understanding of the core photorespiratory pathway our understanding of its interaction with other pathways and processes remains fragmentary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Timm
- University of Rostock, Plant Physiology Department, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
| | - Alexandra Florian
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, D-14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Hermann Bauwe
- University of Rostock, Plant Physiology Department, Albert-Einstein-Straße 3, D-18051 Rostock, Germany
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Abstract
Roadmaps towards sustainable bioeconomy, including the production of biofuels, in many EU countries mostly rely on biomass use. However, although biomass is renewable, the efficiency of biomass production is too low to be able to fully replace the fossil fuels. The use of land for fuel production also introduces ethical problems in increasing the food price. Harvesting solar energy by the photosynthetic machinery of plants and autotrophic microorganisms is the basis for all biomass production. This paper describes current challenges and possibilities to sustainably increase the biomass production and highlights future technologies to further enhance biofuel production directly from sunlight. The biggest scientific breakthroughs are expected to rely on a new technology called "synthetic biology", which makes engineering of biological systems possible. It will enable direct conversion of solar energy to a fuel from inexhaustible raw materials: sun light, water and CO2. In the future, such solar biofuels are expected to be produced in engineered photosynthetic microorganisms or in completely synthetic living factories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Mari Aro
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Plant Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.
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29
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Maurino VG, Engqvist MKM. 2-Hydroxy Acids in Plant Metabolism. THE ARABIDOPSIS BOOK 2015; 13:e0182. [PMID: 26380567 PMCID: PMC4568905 DOI: 10.1199/tab.0182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Glycolate, malate, lactate, and 2-hydroxyglutarate are important 2-hydroxy acids (2HA) in plant metabolism. Most of them can be found as D- and L-stereoisomers. These 2HA play an integral role in plant primary metabolism, where they are involved in fundamental pathways such as photorespiration, tricarboxylic acid cycle, glyoxylate cycle, methylglyoxal pathway, and lysine catabolism. Recent molecular studies in Arabidopsis thaliana have helped elucidate the participation of these 2HA in in plant metabolism and physiology. In this chapter, we summarize the current knowledge about the metabolic pathways and cellular processes in which they are involved, focusing on the proteins that participate in their metabolism and cellular/intracellular transport in Arabidopsis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica G. Maurino
- institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martin K. M. Engqvist
- institute of Developmental and Molecular Biology of Plants, Plant Molecular Physiology and Biotechnology Group, Heinrich Heine University, Universitätsstraße 1, and Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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30
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Modeling of smart mixing regimes to improve marine biorefinery productivity and energy efficiency. ALGAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.algal.2015.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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31
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Rossi M, Bermudez L, Carrari F. Crop yield: challenges from a metabolic perspective. CURRENT OPINION IN PLANT BIOLOGY 2015; 25:79-89. [PMID: 26002068 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbi.2015.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Considering the dual use of plants, as bio-factories for foods and feedstock for bio-refining, along with a rising world population, the plant biotechnology field is currently facing a dramatic challenge to develop crops with higher yield. Furthermore, convergent studies predict that global changes in climate will influence crop productivity by modifying most yield-associated traits. Here, we review recent advances in the understanding of plant metabolism directly or indirectly impacting on yield and provide an update of the different pathways proposed as targets for metabolic engineering aiming to optimize source-sink relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Rossi
- Departamento de Botânica-IB-USP, Rua do Matão, 277, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luisa Bermudez
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (IB-INTA), B1712WAA Castelar, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), B1712WAA Castelar, Argentina; Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernando Carrari
- Instituto de Biotecnología, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (IB-INTA), B1712WAA Castelar, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), B1712WAA Castelar, Argentina; Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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32
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DePaoli HC, Borland AM, Tuskan GA, Cushman JC, Yang X. Synthetic biology as it relates to CAM photosynthesis: challenges and opportunities. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2014; 65:3381-93. [PMID: 24567493 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
To meet future food and energy security needs, which are amplified by increasing population growth and reduced natural resource availability, metabolic engineering efforts have moved from manipulating single genes/proteins to introducing multiple genes and novel pathways to improve photosynthetic efficiency in a more comprehensive manner. Biochemical carbon-concentrating mechanisms such as crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), which improves photosynthetic, water-use, and possibly nutrient-use efficiency, represent a strategic target for synthetic biology to engineer more productive C3 crops for a warmer and drier world. One key challenge for introducing multigene traits like CAM onto a background of C3 photosynthesis is to gain a better understanding of the dynamic spatial and temporal regulatory events that underpin photosynthetic metabolism. With the aid of systems and computational biology, vast amounts of experimental data encompassing transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics can be related in a network to create dynamic models. Such models can undergo simulations to discover key regulatory elements in metabolism and suggest strategic substitution or augmentation by synthetic components to improve photosynthetic performance and water-use efficiency in C3 crops. Another key challenge in the application of synthetic biology to photosynthesis research is to develop efficient systems for multigene assembly and stacking. Here, we review recent progress in computational modelling as applied to plant photosynthesis, with attention to the requirements for CAM, and recent advances in synthetic biology tool development. Lastly, we discuss possible options for multigene pathway construction in plants with an emphasis on CAM-into-C3 engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique C DePaoli
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6422, USA
| | - Anne M Borland
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6422, USA School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Gerald A Tuskan
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6422, USA
| | - John C Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MS330, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0330, USA
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- BioSciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6422, USA
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Bräutigam A, Schliesky S, Külahoglu C, Osborne CP, Weber APM. Towards an integrative model of C4 photosynthetic subtypes: insights from comparative transcriptome analysis of NAD-ME, NADP-ME, and PEP-CK C4 species. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2014; 65:3579-93. [PMID: 24642845 PMCID: PMC4085959 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eru100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis affords higher photosynthetic carbon conversion efficiency than C3 photosynthesis and it therefore represents an attractive target for engineering efforts aiming to improve crop productivity. To this end, blueprints are required that reflect C4 metabolism as closely as possible. Such blueprints have been derived from comparative transcriptome analyses of C3 species with related C4 species belonging to the NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) and NADP-ME subgroups of C4 photosynthesis. However, a comparison between C3 and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEP-CK) subtype of C4 photosynthesis is still missing. An integrative analysis of all three C4 subtypes has also not been possible to date, since no comparison has been available for closely related C3 and PEP-CK C4 species. To generate the data, the guinea grass Megathyrsus maximus, which represents a PEP-CK species, was analysed in comparison with a closely related C3 sister species, Dichanthelium clandestinum, and with publicly available sets of RNA-Seq data from C4 species belonging to the NAD-ME and NADP-ME subgroups. The data indicate that the core C4 cycle of the PEP-CK grass M. maximus is quite similar to that of NAD-ME species with only a few exceptions, such as the subcellular location of transfer acid production and the degree and pattern of up-regulation of genes encoding C4 enzymes. One additional mitochondrial transporter protein was associated with the core cycle. The broad comparison identified sucrose and starch synthesis, as well as the prevention of leakage of C4 cycle intermediates to other metabolic pathways, as critical components of C4 metabolism. Estimation of intercellular transport fluxes indicated that flux between cells is increased by at least two orders of magnitude in C4 species compared with C3 species. In contrast to NAD-ME and NADP-ME species, the transcription of photosynthetic electron transfer proteins was unchanged in PEP-CK. In summary, the PEP-CK blueprint of M. maximus appears to be simpler than those of NAD-ME and NADP-ME plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bräutigam
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon Schliesky
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Canan Külahoglu
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Colin P Osborne
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitätsstrasse 1, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Cheung CYM, Poolman MG, Fell DA, Ratcliffe RG, Sweetlove LJ. A Diel Flux Balance Model Captures Interactions between Light and Dark Metabolism during Day-Night Cycles in C3 and Crassulacean Acid Metabolism Leaves. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 165:917-929. [PMID: 24596328 PMCID: PMC4044858 DOI: 10.1104/pp.113.234468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Accepted: 03/01/2014] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Although leaves have to accommodate markedly different metabolic flux patterns in the light and the dark, models of leaf metabolism based on flux-balance analysis (FBA) have so far been confined to consideration of the network under continuous light. An FBA framework is presented that solves the two phases of the diel cycle as a single optimization problem and, thus, provides a more representative model of leaf metabolism. The requirement to support continued export of sugar and amino acids from the leaf during the night and to meet overnight cellular maintenance costs forces the model to set aside stores of both carbon and nitrogen during the day. With only minimal constraints, the model successfully captures many of the known features of C3 leaf metabolism, including the recently discovered role of citrate synthesis and accumulation in the night as a precursor for the provision of carbon skeletons for amino acid synthesis during the day. The diel FBA model can be applied to other temporal separations, such as that which occurs in Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis, allowing a system-level analysis of the energetics of CAM. The diel model predicts that there is no overall energetic advantage to CAM, despite the potential for suppression of photorespiration through CO2 concentration. Moreover, any savings in enzyme machinery costs through suppression of photorespiration are likely to be offset by the higher flux demand of the CAM cycle. It is concluded that energetic or nitrogen use considerations are unlikely to be evolutionary drivers for CAM photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Y Maurice Cheung
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom (C.Y.M.C., R.G.R., L.J.S.); andSchool of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom (M.G.P., D.A.F.)
| | - Mark G Poolman
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom (C.Y.M.C., R.G.R., L.J.S.); andSchool of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom (M.G.P., D.A.F.)
| | - David A Fell
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom (C.Y.M.C., R.G.R., L.J.S.); andSchool of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom (M.G.P., D.A.F.)
| | - R George Ratcliffe
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom (C.Y.M.C., R.G.R., L.J.S.); andSchool of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom (M.G.P., D.A.F.)
| | - Lee J Sweetlove
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3RB, United Kingdom (C.Y.M.C., R.G.R., L.J.S.); andSchool of Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford OX3 0BP, United Kingdom (M.G.P., D.A.F.)
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35
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Borland AM, Hartwell J, Weston DJ, Schlauch KA, Tschaplinski TJ, Tuskan GA, Yang X, Cushman JC. Engineering crassulacean acid metabolism to improve water-use efficiency. TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2014; 19:327-38. [PMID: 24559590 PMCID: PMC4065858 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2014.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2013] [Revised: 01/01/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2014] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Climatic extremes threaten agricultural sustainability worldwide. One approach to increase plant water-use efficiency (WUE) is to introduce crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) into C3 crops. Such a task requires comprehensive systems-level understanding of the enzymatic and regulatory pathways underpinning this temporal CO2 pump. Here we review the progress that has been made in achieving this goal. Given that CAM arose through multiple independent evolutionary origins, comparative transcriptomics and genomics of taxonomically diverse CAM species are being used to define the genetic 'parts list' required to operate the core CAM functional modules of nocturnal carboxylation, diurnal decarboxylation, and inverse stomatal regulation. Engineered CAM offers the potential to sustain plant productivity for food, feed, fiber, and biofuel production in hotter and drier climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne M Borland
- School of Biology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6407, USA
| | - James Hartwell
- Department of Plant Sciences, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK
| | - David J Weston
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6407, USA
| | - Karen A Schlauch
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MS330, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0330, USA
| | | | - Gerald A Tuskan
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6407, USA
| | - Xiaohan Yang
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6407, USA
| | - John C Cushman
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, MS330, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557-0330, USA.
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36
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Tikh IB, Quin MB, Schmidt-Dannert C. A tale of two reductases: extending the bacteriochlorophyll biosynthetic pathway in E. coli. PLoS One 2014; 9:e89734. [PMID: 24586995 PMCID: PMC3931815 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The creation of a synthetic microbe that can harvest energy from sunlight to drive its metabolic processes is an attractive approach to the economically viable biosynthetic production of target compounds. Our aim is to design and engineer a genetically tractable non-photosynthetic microbe to produce light-harvesting molecules. Previously we created a modular, multienzyme system for the heterologous production of intermediates of the bacteriochlorophyll (BChl) pathway in E. coli. In this report we extend this pathway to include a substrate promiscuous 8-vinyl reductase that can accept multiple intermediates of BChl biosynthesis. We present an informative comparative analysis of homologues of 8-vinyl reductase from the model photosynthetic organisms Rhodobacter sphaeroides and Chlorobaculum tepidum. The first purification of the enzymes leads to their detailed biochemical and biophysical characterization. The data obtained reveal that the two 8-vinyl reductases are substrate promiscuous, capable of reducing the C8-vinyl group of Mg protoporphyrin IX, Mg protoporphyrin IX methylester, and divinyl protochlorophyllide. However, activity is dependent upon the presence of chelated Mg2+ in the porphyrin ring, with no activity against non-Mg2+ chelated intermediates observed. Additionally, CD analyses reveal that the two 8-vinyl reductases appear to bind the same substrate in a different fashion. Furthermore, we discover that the different rates of reaction of the two 8-vinyl reductases both in vitro, and in vivo as part of our engineered system, results in the suitability of only one of the homologues for our BChl pathway in E. coli. Our results offer the first insights into the different functionalities of homologous 8-vinyl reductases. This study also takes us one step closer to the creation of a nonphotosynthetic microbe that is capable of harvesting energy from sunlight for the biosynthesis of molecules of choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilya B. Tikh
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Maureen B. Quin
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Claudia Schmidt-Dannert
- Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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37
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Jacobsen JH, Frigaard NU. Engineering of photosynthetic mannitol biosynthesis from CO2 in a cyanobacterium. Metab Eng 2013; 21:60-70. [PMID: 24269997 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Revised: 10/16/2013] [Accepted: 11/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
D-Mannitol (hereafter denoted mannitol) is used in the medical and food industry and is currently produced commercially by chemical hydrogenation of fructose or by extraction from seaweed. Here, the marine cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7002 was genetically modified to photosynthetically produce mannitol from CO2 as the sole carbon source. Two codon-optimized genes, mannitol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase (mtlD) from Escherichia coli and mannitol-1-phosphatase (mlp) from the protozoan chicken parasite Eimeria tenella, in combination encoding a biosynthetic pathway from fructose-6-phosphate to mannitol, were expressed in the cyanobacterium resulting in accumulation of mannitol in the cells and in the culture medium. The mannitol biosynthetic genes were expressed from a single synthetic operon inserted into the cyanobacterial chromosome by homologous recombination. The mannitol biosynthesis operon was constructed using a novel uracil-specific excision reagent (USER)-based polycistronic expression system characterized by ligase-independent, directional cloning of the protein-encoding genes such that the insertion site was regenerated after each cloning step. Genetic inactivation of glycogen biosynthesis increased the yield of mannitol presumably by redirecting the metabolic flux to mannitol under conditions where glycogen normally accumulates. A total mannitol yield equivalent to 10% of cell dry weight was obtained in cell cultures synthesizing glycogen while the yield increased to 32% of cell dry weight in cell cultures deficient in glycogen synthesis; in both cases about 75% of the mannitol was released from the cells into the culture medium by an unknown mechanism. The highest productivity was obtained in a glycogen synthase deficient culture that after 12 days showed a mannitol concentration of 1.1 g mannitol L(-1) and a production rate of 0.15 g mannitol L(-1) day(-1). This system may be useful for biosynthesis of valuable sugars and sugar derivatives from CO2 in cyanobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob H Jacobsen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark
| | - Niels-Ulrik Frigaard
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, 3000 Helsingør, Denmark.
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38
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Dubouzet JG, Strabala TJ, Wagner A. Potential transgenic routes to increase tree biomass. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2013; 212:72-101. [PMID: 24094056 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 08/21/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2013] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Biomass is a prime target for genetic engineering in forestry because increased biomass yield will benefit most downstream applications such as timber, fiber, pulp, paper, and bioenergy production. Transgenesis can increase biomass by improving resource acquisition and product utilization and by enhancing competitive ability for solar energy, water, and mineral nutrients. Transgenes that affect juvenility, winter dormancy, and flowering have been shown to influence biomass as well. Transgenic approaches have increased yield potential by mitigating the adverse effects of prevailing stress factors in the environment. Simultaneous introduction of multiple genes for resistance to various stress factors into trees may help forest trees cope with multiple or changing environments. We propose multi-trait engineering for tree crops, simultaneously deploying multiple independent genes to address a set of genetically uncorrelated traits that are important for crop improvement. This strategy increases the probability of unpredictable (synergistic or detrimental) interactions that may substantially affect the overall phenotype and its long-term performance. The very limited ability to predict the physiological processes that may be impacted by such a strategy requires vigilance and care during implementation. Hence, we recommend close monitoring of the resultant transgenic genotypes in multi-year, multi-location field trials.
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39
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Claassens NJ, Volpers M, dos Santos VAPM, van der Oost J, de Vos WM. Potential of proton-pumping rhodopsins: engineering photosystems into microorganisms. Trends Biotechnol 2013; 31:633-42. [PMID: 24120288 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Revised: 08/19/2013] [Accepted: 08/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A wide range of proton-pumping rhodopsins (PPRs) have been discovered in recent years. Using a synthetic biology approach, PPR photosystems with different features can be easily introduced in nonphotosynthetic microbial hosts. PPRs can provide hosts with the ability to harvest light and drive the sustainable production of biochemicals or biofuels. PPRs use light energy to generate an outward proton flux, and the resulting proton motive force can subsequently power cellular processes. Recently, the introduction of PPRs in microbial production hosts has successfully led to light-driven biotechnological conversions. In this review, we discuss relevant features of natural PPRs, evaluate reported biotechnological applications of microbial production hosts equipped with PPRs, and provide an outlook on future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico J Claassens
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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40
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Thiourea, a ROS scavenger, regulates source-to-sink relationship to enhance crop yield and oil content in Brassica juncea (L.). PLoS One 2013; 8:e73921. [PMID: 24058504 PMCID: PMC3776803 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present agricultural scenario, the major thrust is to increase crop productivity so as to ensure sustainability. In an earlier study, foliar application of thiourea (TU; a non physiological thiol based ROS scavenger) has been demonstrated to enhance the stress tolerance and yield of different crops under field condition. Towards this endeavor, present work deals with the effect of TU on photosynthetic efficiency and source-to-sink relationship of Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) for understanding its mode of action. The application of TU increased the efficiency of both PSI and PSII photosystems and vegetative growth of plant. The comparative analysis of sucrose to starch ratio and expression level of sugar transporters confirmed the higher source and sink strength in response to TU treatment. The biochemical evidence in support of this was derived from higher activities of sucrose phosphate synthase and fructose-1,6-bis-phosphatase at source; and sucrose synthase and different classes of invertases at both source and sink. This indicated an overall increase in photoassimilate level at sink. An additional contribution through pod photosynthesis was confirmed through the analysis of phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase enzyme activity and level of organic acids. The increased photoassimilate level was also co-ordinated with acetyl coA carboxylase mediated oil biosynthesis. All these changes were ultimately reflected in the form of 10 and 20% increase in total yield and oil content, respectively under TU treatment as compared to control. Additionally, no change was observed in oil composition of seeds derived from TU treated plants. The study thus signifies the co-ordinated regulation of key steps of photosynthesis and source-to-sink relationship through the external application of TU resulting in increased crop yield and oil content.
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Chisti Y. Constraints to commercialization of algal fuels. J Biotechnol 2013; 167:201-14. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2013.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 510] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Revised: 07/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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Sage RF. Photorespiratory compensation: a driver for biological diversity. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2013; 15:624-638. [PMID: 23656429 DOI: 10.1111/plb.12024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2012] [Accepted: 02/07/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
This paper reviews how terrestrial plants reduce photorespiration and thus compensate for its inhibitory effects. As shown in the equation φ = (1/Sc/o )O/C, where φ is the ratio of oxygenation to carboxylation, Sc/o is the relative specificity of Rubisco, O is stromal O2 level and C is the stromal CO2 concentration, plants can reduce photorespiration by increasing Sc/o or C, or by reducing O. By far the most effective means of reducing φ is by concentrating CO2, as occurs in C4 and CAM plants, and to a lesser extent in plants using a glycine shuttle to concentrate CO2 into the bundle sheath. Trapping and refixation of photorespired CO2 by a sheath of chloroplasts around the mesophyll cell periphery in C3 plants also enhances C, particularly at low atmospheric CO2. O2 removal is not practical because high energy and protein investment is needed to have more than a negligible effect. Sc/o enhancement provides for modest reductions in φ, but at the potential cost of limiting the kcat of Rubisco. An effective means of decreasing φ and enhancing carbon gain is to lower leaf temperature by reducing absorbance of solar radiation, or where water is abundant, opening stomata. By using a combination of mechanisms, C3 plants can achieve substantial (>30%) reductions in φ. This may have allowed many C3 species to withstand severe competition from C4 plants in low CO2 atmospheres of recent geological time, thereby preserving some of the Earth's floristic diversity that accumulated over millions of years.
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Affiliation(s)
- R F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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Kubo I, Hosoda K, Suzuki S, Yamamoto K, Kihara K, Mori K, Yomo T. Construction of bacteria-eukaryote synthetic mutualism. Biosystems 2013; 113:66-71. [PMID: 23711432 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2013.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2013] [Revised: 05/14/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Mutualism is ubiquitous in nature but is known to be intrinsically vulnerable with regard to both population dynamics and evolution. Synthetic ecology has indicated that it is feasible for organisms to establish novel mutualism merely through encountering each other by showing that it is feasible to construct synthetic mutualism between organisms. However, bacteria-eukaryote mutualism, which is ecologically important, has not yet been constructed. In this study, we synthetically constructed mutualism between a bacterium and a eukaryote by using two model organisms. We mixed a bacterium, Escherichia coli (a genetically engineered glutamine auxotroph), and an amoeba, Dictyostelium discoideum, in 14 sets of conditions in which each species could not grow in monoculture but potentially could grow in coculture. Under a single condition in which the bacterium and amoeba mutually compensated for the lack of required nutrients (lipoic acid and glutamine, respectively), both species grew continuously through several subcultures, essentially establishing mutualism. Our results shed light on the establishment of bacteria-eukaryote mutualism and indicate that a bacterium and eukaryote pair in nature also has a non-negligible possibility of establishing novel mutualism if the organisms are potentially mutualistic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isao Kubo
- Department of Bioinformatic Engineering, Graduate School of Information Science and Technology, Osaka University, 1-5 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
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