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Rao S, Liu T, Cernusak LA, Song X. Harnessing photosynthetic C 18O 16O discrimination dynamics under leaf water nonsteady state to estimate mesophyll conductance: a new, regression-based method. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 243:2102-2114. [PMID: 38634162 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance (gm) is a crucial plant trait that can significantly limit photosynthesis. Measurement of photosynthetic C18O16O discrimination (Δ18O) has proved to be the only viable means of resolving gm in both C3 and C4 plants. However, the currently available methods to exploit Δ18O for gm estimation are error prone due to their inadequacy in constraining the degree of oxygen isotope exchange (θ) during mesophyll CO2 hydration. Here, we capitalized on experimental manipulation of leaf water isotopic dynamics to establish a novel, nonsteady state, regression-based approach for simultaneous determination of gm and θ from online Δ18O measurements. We demonstrated the methodological and theoretical robustness of this new Δ18O-gm estimation approach and showed through measurements on several C3 and C4 species that this approach can serve as a benchmark method against which to identify previously-unrecognized biases of the existing Δ18O-gm methods. Our results highlight the unique value of this nonsteady state-based approach for contributing to ongoing efforts toward quantitative understanding of mesophyll conductance for crop yield improvement and carbon cycle modeling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Rao
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
- Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Devices and Systems of Ministry of Education and Guangdong Province, College of Optoelectronic Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Tao Liu
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Lucas A Cernusak
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, Qld, 4878, Australia
| | - Xin Song
- College of Life Sciences and Oceanography, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
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2
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Zhou L, Xiang X, Ji D, Chen Q, Ma T, Wang J, Liu C. A Carbonic Anhydrase, ZmCA4, Contributes to Photosynthetic Efficiency and Modulates CO2 Signaling Gene Expression by Interacting with Aquaporin ZmPIP2;6 in Maize. PLANT & CELL PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 65:243-258. [PMID: 37955399 DOI: 10.1093/pcp/pcad145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) catalyzes the reversible CO2 hydration reaction that produces bicarbonate for phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). This is the initial step for transmitting the CO2 signal in C4 photosynthesis. However, it remains unknown whether the maize (Zea mays L.) CA gene, ZmCA4, plays a role in the maize photosynthesis process. In our study, we found that ZmCA4 was relatively highly expressed in leaves and localized in the chloroplast and the plasma membrane of mesophyll protoplasts. Knock-out of ZmCA4 reduced CA activity, while overexpression of ZmCA4 increased rubisco activity, as well as the quantum yield and relative electron transport rate in photosystem II. Overexpression of ZmCA4 enhanced maize yield-related traits. Moreover, ZmCA4 interacted with aquaporin ZmPIP2;6 in bimolecular fluorescence complementation and co-immunoprecipitation experiments. The double-knock-out mutant for ZmPIP2;6 and ZmCA4 genes showed reductions in its growth, CA and PEPC activities, assimilation rate and photosystem activity. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that the expression of other ZmCAs, ZmPIPs, as well as CO2 signaling pathway homologous genes, and photosynthetic-related genes was all altered in the double-knock-out mutant compared with the wild type. Altogether, our study's findings point to a critical role of ZmCA4 in determining photosynthetic capacity and modulating CO2 signaling regulation via its interaction with ZmPIP2;6, thus providing insight into the potential genetic value of ZmCA4 for maize yield improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian Zhou
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Xiaoqin Xiang
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Dongpu Ji
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Qiulan Chen
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Tengfei Ma
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiuguang Wang
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Chaoxian Liu
- Maize Research Institute, College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
- Engineering Research Center of South Upland Agriculture, Ministry of Education, No. 2 Tiansheng Road, Beibei, Chongqing 400715, China
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3
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Wu A, Brider J, Busch FA, Chen M, Chenu K, Clarke VC, Collins B, Ermakova M, Evans JR, Farquhar GD, Forster B, Furbank RT, Groszmann M, Hernandez‐Prieto MA, Long BM, Mclean G, Potgieter A, Price GD, Sharwood RE, Stower M, van Oosterom E, von Caemmerer S, Whitney SM, Hammer GL. A cross-scale analysis to understand and quantify the effects of photosynthetic enhancement on crop growth and yield across environments. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:23-44. [PMID: 36200623 PMCID: PMC10091820 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Photosynthetic manipulation provides new opportunities for enhancing crop yield. However, understanding and quantifying the importance of individual and multiple manipulations on the seasonal biomass growth and yield performance of target crops across variable production environments is limited. Using a state-of-the-art cross-scale model in the APSIM platform we predicted the impact of altering photosynthesis on the enzyme-limited (Ac ) and electron transport-limited (Aj ) rates, seasonal dynamics in canopy photosynthesis, biomass growth, and yield formation via large multiyear-by-location crop growth simulations. A broad list of promising strategies to improve photosynthesis for C3 wheat and C4 sorghum were simulated. In the top decile of seasonal outcomes, yield gains were predicted to be modest, ranging between 0% and 8%, depending on the manipulation and crop type. We report how photosynthetic enhancement can affect the timing and severity of water and nitrogen stress on the growing crop, resulting in nonintuitive seasonal crop dynamics and yield outcomes. We predicted that strategies enhancing Ac alone generate more consistent but smaller yield gains across all water and nitrogen environments, Aj enhancement alone generates larger gains but is undesirable in more marginal environments. Large increases in both Ac and Aj generate the highest gains across all environments. Yield outcomes of the tested manipulation strategies were predicted and compared for realistic Australian wheat and sorghum production. This study uniquely unpacks complex cross-scale interactions between photosynthesis and seasonal crop dynamics and improves understanding and quantification of the potential impact of photosynthesis traits (or lack of it) for crop improvement research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Wu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Jason Brider
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Florian A. Busch
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
- School of BiosciencesUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
- Birmingham Institute of Forest ResearchUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Min Chen
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, School of Life and Environmental Science, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Karine Chenu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Victoria C. Clarke
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Brian Collins
- College of Science and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsvilleQueenslandAustralia
| | - Maria Ermakova
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - John R. Evans
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Graham D. Farquhar
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Britta Forster
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Robert T. Furbank
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Michael Groszmann
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Miguel A. Hernandez‐Prieto
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, School of Life and Environmental Science, Faculty of ScienceUniversity of SydneySydneyNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Benedict M. Long
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Greg Mclean
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Andries Potgieter
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - G. Dean Price
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Robert E. Sharwood
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Michael Stower
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Erik van Oosterom
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Spencer M. Whitney
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
| | - Graeme L. Hammer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food InnovationThe University of QueenslandBrisbaneQueenslandAustralia
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Tang Y, Schiestl-Aalto P, Lehmann MM, Saurer M, Sahlstedt E, Kolari P, Leppä K, Bäck J, Rinne-Garmston KT. Estimating intra-seasonal photosynthetic discrimination and water use efficiency using δ13C of leaf sucrose in Scots pine. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:321-335. [PMID: 36255219 PMCID: PMC9786842 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sucrose has a unique role in recording environmental and physiological signals during photosynthesis in its carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and transport of the signal to tree rings. Yet, instead of sucrose, total organic matter (TOM) or water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are typically analysed in studies that follow δ13C signals within trees. To study how the choice of organic material may bias the interpretation of δ13C records, we used mature field-grown Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) to compare for the first time δ13C of different leaf carbon pools with δ13C of assimilates estimated by a chamber-Picarro system (δ13CA_Picarro), and a photosynthetic discrimination model (δ13CA_model). Compared with sucrose, the other tested carbon pools, such as TOM and WSC, poorly recorded the seasonal trends or absolute values of δ13CA_Picarro and δ13CA_model. Consequently, in comparison with the other carbon pools, sucrose δ13C was superior for reconstructing changes in intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), agreeing in both absolute values and intra-seasonal variations with iWUE estimated from gas exchange. Thus, deriving iWUE and environmental signals from δ13C of bulk organic matter can lead to misinterpretation. Our findings underscore the advantage of using sucrose δ13C to understand plant physiological responses in depth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paulina Schiestl-Aalto
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 68, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marco M Lehmann
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Matthias Saurer
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Elina Sahlstedt
- Bioeconomy and Environment Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pasi Kolari
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 68, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kersti Leppä
- Bioeconomy and Environment Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Bäck
- Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR)/Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 27, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katja T Rinne-Garmston
- Bioeconomy and Environment Unit, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790, Helsinki, Finland
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Pathare VS, DiMario RJ, Koteyeva N, Cousins AB. Mesophyll conductance response to short-term changes in pCO 2 is related to leaf anatomy and biochemistry in diverse C 4 grasses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1281-1295. [PMID: 35959528 PMCID: PMC9825963 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll CO2 conductance (gm ) in C3 species responds to short-term (minutes) changes in environment potentially due to changes in leaf anatomical and biochemical properties and measurement artefacts. Compared with C3 species, there is less information on gm responses to short-term changes in environmental conditions such as partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2 ) across diverse C4 species and the potential determinants of these responses. Using 16 C4 grasses we investigated the response of gm to short-term changes in pCO2 and its relationship with leaf anatomy and biochemistry. In general, gm increased as pCO2 decreased (statistically significant increase in 12 species), with percentage increases in gm ranging from +13% to +250%. Greater increase in gm at low pCO2 was observed in species exhibiting relatively thinner mesophyll cell walls along with greater mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular air spaces, leaf N, photosynthetic capacity and activities of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and Rubisco. Species with greater CO2 responses of gm were also able to maintain their leaf water-use efficiencies (TEi ) under low CO2 . Our study advances understanding of CO2 response of gm in diverse C4 species, identifies the key leaf traits related to this response and has implications for improving C4 photosynthetic models and TEi through modification of gm .
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha S. Pathare
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWA99164‐4236USA
| | - Robert J. DiMario
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWA99164‐4236USA
| | - Nuria Koteyeva
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWA99164‐4236USA
- Laboratory of Anatomy and MorphologyV.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences197376St PetersburgRussia
| | - Asaph B. Cousins
- School of Biological SciencesWashington State UniversityPullmanWA99164‐4236USA
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6
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Bellasio C, Ermakova M. Reduction of bundle sheath size boosts cyclic electron flow in C 4 Setaria viridis acclimated to low light. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 111:1223-1237. [PMID: 35866447 PMCID: PMC9545969 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
When C4 leaves are exposed to low light, the CO2 concentration in the bundle sheath (BS) cells decreases, causing an increase in photorespiration relative to assimilation, and a consequent reduction in biochemical efficiency. These effects can be mitigated by complex acclimation syndromes, which are of primary importance for crop productivity but are not well studied. We unveil an acclimation strategy involving the coordination of electron transport processes. First, we characterize the anatomy, gas exchange and electron transport of C4 Setaria viridis grown under low light. Through a purposely developed biochemical model, we resolve the photon fluxes and reaction rates to explain how the concerted acclimation strategies sustain photosynthetic efficiency. Our results show that a smaller BS in low-light-grown plants limited leakiness (the ratio of CO2 leak rate out of the BS over the rate of supply via C4 acid decarboxylation) but sacrificed light harvesting and ATP production. To counter ATP shortage and maintain high assimilation rates, plants facilitated light penetration through the mesophyll and upregulated cyclic electron flow in the BS. This shade tolerance mechanism, based on the optimization of light reactions, is possibly more efficient than the known mechanisms involving the rearrangement of carbon metabolism, and could potentially lead to innovative strategies for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandra Bellasio
- Department of BiologyUniversity of the Balearic Islands07122PalmaIlles BalearsSpain
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityActonACT2601Australia
| | - Maria Ermakova
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of BiologyThe Australian National UniversityActonACT2601Australia
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7
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DiMario RJ, Giuliani R, Ubierna N, Slack AD, Cousins AB, Studer AJ. Lack of leaf carbonic anhydrase activity eliminates the C 4 carbon-concentrating mechanism requiring direct diffusion of CO 2 into bundle sheath cells. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:1382-1397. [PMID: 35233800 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbonic anhydrase (CA) performs the first enzymatic step of C4 photosynthesis by catalysing the reversible hydration of dissolved CO2 that diffuses into mesophyll cells from intercellular airspaces. This CA-catalysed reaction provides the bicarbonate used by phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase to generate products that flow into the C4 carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM). It was previously demonstrated that the Zea mays ca1ca2 double mutant lost 97% of leaf CA activity, but there was little difference in the growth phenotype under ambient CO2 partial pressures (pCO2 ). We hypothesise that since CAs are among the fastest enzymes, minimal activity from a third CA, CA8, can provide the inorganic carbon needed to drive C4 photosynthesis. We observed that removing CA8 from the maize ca1ca2 background resulted in plants that had 0.2% of wild-type leaf CA activity. These ca1ca2ca8 plants had reduced photosynthetic parameters and could only survive at elevated pCO2 . Photosynthetic and carbon isotope analysis combined with modelling of photosynthesis and carbon isotope discrimination was used to determine if ca1ca2ca8 plants had a functional C4 cycle or were relying on direct CO2 diffusion to ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase within bundle sheath cells. The results suggest that leaf CA activity in ca1ca2ca8 plants was not sufficient to sustain the C4 CCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J DiMario
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Rita Giuliani
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Nerea Ubierna
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Aaron D Slack
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Anthony J Studer
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
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8
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Crawford JD, Cousins AB. Limitation of C4 photosynthesis by low carbonic anhydrase activity increases with temperature but does not influence mesophyll CO2 conductance. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2022; 73:927-938. [PMID: 34698863 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in C4 plants is initiated by the uptake of bicarbonate (HCO3-) via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC). Generation of HCO3- for PEPC is determined by the interaction between mesophyll CO2 conductance and the hydration of CO2 to HCO3- by carbonic anhydrase (CA). Genetic reduction of CA was previously shown not to limit C4 photosynthesis under ambient atmospheric partial pressures of CO2 (pCO2). However, CA activity varies widely across C4 species and it is unknown if there are specific environmental conditions (e.g. high temperature) where CA may limit HCO3- production for C4 photosynthesis. Additionally, CA activity has been suggested to influence mesophyll conductance, but this has not been experimentally tested. We hypothesize that CA activity can limit PEPC at high temperatures, particularly at low pCO2, but does not directly influence gm. Here we tested the influence of genetically reduced CA activity on photosynthesis and gm in the C4 plant Zea mays under a range of pCO2 and temperatures. Reduced CA activity limited HCO3- production for C4 photosynthesis at low pCO2 as temperatures increased, but did not influence mesophyll conductance. Therefore, high leaf CA activity may enhance C4 photosynthesis under high temperature when stomatal conductance restricts the availability of atmospheric CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph D Crawford
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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9
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De Silva ALC, Senarathna HAKNN, De Costa WAJM. Genotypic variation of the interactive effects of elevated temperature and CO 2 on leaf gas exchange and early growth of sugarcane. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2021; 173:2276-2290. [PMID: 34609754 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Increased atmospheric CO2 and consequent increases in temperature are two prominent features of climate change, a major challenge to crops. Here, our objectives were to determine: (1) the responses of sugarcane during the first 90 days of elevated CO2 (ECO2 ) and elevated temperature (ETem), both individually and together, and (2) the genotypic variation of these responses. Eight varieties were grown both in open-top chambers in a factorial combination of ambient/ECO2 concentrations (344-351/777-779 ppm) and ambient/ETem (34.9-35.6/36.6-38.4°C) and in open fields. Significant treatment × variety interaction effects were observed on leaf net photosynthetic rate (An ), stomatal conductance (gs ), transpiration rate (El ), and instantaneous transpiration efficiency (TE ). In most varieties, ECO2 alone did not affect An, but the combination of ECO2 and ETem decreased An . ECO2 decreased gs and El while increasing TE in all varieties. These effects were amplified when ETem was combined with ECO2 . ETem alone had variable effects on An and gs depending on variety, while it increased El and did not affect TE in a majority of varieties. Germination, tillering and stem diameter were not affected by treatments and did not show varietal variation. Leaf water potential, chlorophyll (spad), leaf area, and aboveground dry weight per plant showed varietal variations but were not affected by treatments. The variable responses to ETem and the significant genotypic variation to ECO2 and elevated temperature (ETem) observed in this work, both individually and together, demonstrate a considerable scope to breed sugarcane varieties for a future high-CO2 and warmer climate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - W A Janendra M De Costa
- Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
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10
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Ermakova M, Osborn H, Groszmann M, Bala S, Bowerman A, McGaughey S, Byrt C, Alonso-Cantabrana H, Tyerman S, Furbank RT, Sharwood RE, von Caemmerer S. Expression of a CO 2-permeable aquaporin enhances mesophyll conductance in the C 4 species Setaria viridis. eLife 2021; 10:70095. [PMID: 34842138 PMCID: PMC8648302 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A fundamental limitation of photosynthetic carbon fixation is the availability of CO2. In C4 plants, primary carboxylation occurs in mesophyll cytosol, and little is known about the role of CO2 diffusion in facilitating C4 photosynthesis. We have examined the expression, localization, and functional role of selected plasma membrane intrinsic aquaporins (PIPs) from Setaria italica (foxtail millet) and discovered that SiPIP2;7 is CO2-permeable. When ectopically expressed in mesophyll cells of Setaria viridis (green foxtail), SiPIP2;7 was localized to the plasma membrane and caused no marked changes in leaf biochemistry. Gas exchange and C18O16O discrimination measurements revealed that targeted expression of SiPIP2;7 enhanced the conductance to CO2 diffusion from the intercellular airspace to the mesophyll cytosol. Our results demonstrate that mesophyll conductance limits C4 photosynthesis at low pCO2 and that SiPIP2;7 is a functional CO2 permeable aquaporin that can improve CO2 diffusion at the airspace/mesophyll interface and enhance C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ermakova
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Hannah Osborn
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Michael Groszmann
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Soumi Bala
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Andrew Bowerman
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Samantha McGaughey
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Caitlin Byrt
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Hugo Alonso-Cantabrana
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Steve Tyerman
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, School of Agriculture Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia.,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, Canberra, Australia
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11
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von Caemmerer S. Updating the steady-state model of C4 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:6003-6017. [PMID: 34173821 PMCID: PMC8411607 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
C4 plants play a key role in world agriculture. For example, C4 crops such as maize and sorghum are major contributors to food production in both developed and developing countries, and the C4 grasses sugarcane, miscanthus, and switchgrass are major plant sources of bioenergy. In the challenge to manipulate and enhance C4 photosynthesis, steady-state models of leaf photosynthesis provide an important tool for gas exchange analysis and thought experiments that can explore photosynthetic pathway changes. Here a previous C4 photosynthetic model developed by von Caemmerer and Furbank has been updated with new kinetic parameterization and temperature dependencies added. The parameterization was derived from experiments on the C4 monocot, Setaria viridis, which for the first time provides a cohesive parameterization. Mesophyll conductance and its temperature dependence have also been included, as this is an important step in the quantitative correlation between the initial slope of the CO2 response curve of CO2 assimilation and in vitro phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity. Furthermore, the equations for chloroplast electron transport have been updated to include cyclic electron transport flow, and equations have been added to calculate the electron transport rate from measured CO2 assimilation rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne von Caemmerer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601, Australia
- Correspondence:
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12
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Adnew GA, Hofmann MEG, Pons TL, Koren G, Ziegler M, Lourens LJ, Röckmann T. Leaf scale quantification of the effect of photosynthetic gas exchange on Δ 47 of CO 2. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14023. [PMID: 34234170 PMCID: PMC8263724 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93092-0] [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: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The clumped isotope composition (Δ47, the anomaly of the mass 47 isotopologue relative to the abundance expected from a random isotope distribution) of CO2 has been suggested as an additional tracer for gross CO2 fluxes. However, the effect of photosynthetic gas exchange on Δ47 has not been directly determined and two indirect/conceptual studies reported contradicting results. In this study, we quantify the effect of photosynthetic gas exchange on Δ47 of CO2 using leaf cuvette experiments with one C4 and two C3 plants. The experimental results are supported by calculations with a leaf cuvette model. Our results demonstrate the important roles of the Δ47 value of CO2 entering the leaf, kinetic fractionation as CO2 diffuses into, and out of the leaf and CO2–H2O isotope exchange with leaf water. We experimentally confirm the previously suggested dependence of Δ47 of CO2 in the air surrounding a leaf on the stomatal conductance and back-diffusion flux. Gas exchange can enrich or deplete the Δ47 of CO2 depending on the Δ47 of CO2 entering the leaf and the fraction of CO2 exchanged with leaf water and diffused back to the atmosphere, but under typical ambient conditions, it will lead to a decrease in Δ47.
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Affiliation(s)
- Getachew Agmuas Adnew
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Magdalena E G Hofmann
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Picarro B.V., 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands
| | - Thijs L Pons
- Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gerbrand Koren
- Meteorology and Air Quality Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Martin Ziegler
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Lucas J Lourens
- Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas Röckmann
- Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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13
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Jaikumar NS, Stutz SS, Fernandes SB, Leakey ADB, Bernacchi CJ, Brown PJ, Long SP. Can improved canopy light transmission ameliorate loss of photosynthetic efficiency in the shade? An investigation of natural variation in Sorghum bicolor. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:4965-4980. [PMID: 33914063 PMCID: PMC8219039 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have found that maximum quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (Φ CO2,max,app) declines in lower canopies of maize and miscanthus, a maladaptive response to self-shading. These observations were limited to single genotypes, leaving it unclear whether the maladaptive shade response is a general property of this C4 grass tribe, the Andropogoneae. We explored the generality of this maladaptation by testing the hypothesis that erect leaf forms (erectophiles), which allow more light into the lower canopy, suffer less of a decline in photosynthetic efficiency than drooping leaf (planophile) forms. On average, Φ CO2,max,app declined 27% in lower canopy leaves across 35 accessions, but the decline was over twice as great in planophiles than in erectophiles. The loss of photosynthetic efficiency involved a decoupling between electron transport and assimilation. This was not associated with increased bundle sheath leakage, based on 13C measurements. In both planophiles and erectophiles, shaded leaves had greater leaf absorptivity and lower activities of key C4 enzymes than sun leaves. The erectophile form is considered more productive because it allows a more effective distribution of light through the canopy to support photosynthesis. We show that in sorghum, it provides a second benefit, maintenance of higher Φ CO2,max,app to support efficient use of that light resource.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil S Jaikumar
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Samantha S Stutz
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Samuel B Fernandes
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andrew D B Leakey
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Carl J Bernacchi
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- USDA ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Patrick J Brown
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Stephen P Long
- Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
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14
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Sonawane BV, Koteyeva NK, Johnson DM, Cousins AB. Differences in leaf anatomy determines temperature response of leaf hydraulic and mesophyll CO 2 conductance in phylogenetically related C 4 and C 3 grass species. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1802-1814. [PMID: 33605441 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Leaf hydraulic and mesophyll CO2 conductance are both influenced by leaf anatomical traits, however it is poorly understood how the temperature response of these conductances differs between C4 and C3 species with distinct leaf anatomy. This study investigated the temperature response of leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf ), stomatal (gs ) and mesophyll (gm ) conductance to CO2 , and leaf anatomical traits in phylogenetically related Panicum antidotale (C4 ) and P. bisulcatum (C3 ) grasses. The C4 species had lower hydraulic conductance outside xylem (Kox ) and Kleaf compared with the C3 species. However, the C4 species had higher gm compared with the C3 species. Traits associated with leaf water movement, Kleaf and Kox , increased with temperature more in the C3 than in the C4 species, whereas traits related to carbon uptake, Anet and gm , increased more with temperature in the C4 than the C3 species. Our findings demonstrate that, in addition to a CO2 concentrating mechanism, outside-xylem leaf anatomy in the C4 species P. antidotale favours lower water movement through the leaf and stomata that provides an additional advantage for greater leaf carbon uptake relative to water loss with increasing leaf temperature than in the C3 species P. bisulcatum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasaheb V Sonawane
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Nuria K Koteyeva
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute of Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov Street 2, St Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Daniel M Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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15
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Evans JR. Mesophyll conductance: walls, membranes and spatial complexity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 229:1864-1876. [PMID: 33135193 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A significant resistance to CO2 diffusion is imposed by mesophyll tissue inside leaves. Mesophyll resistance, rm (or its reciprocal, mesophyll conductance, gm ), reduces the rate at which Rubisco can fix CO2 , increasing the water and nitrogen costs of carbon acquisition. gm varies in proportion to the surface area of chloroplasts exposed to intercellular airspace per unit leaf area. It also depends on the thickness and effective porosity of the cell wall and the CO2 permeabilities of membranes. As no measurements exist for the effective porosity of mesophyll cell walls, and CO2 permeability values are too low to account for observed rates of CO2 assimilation, conclusions from modelling must be treated with caution. There is great variation in the mesophyll resistance per unit chloroplast area for a given cell wall thickness, which may reflect differences in effective porosity. While apparent gm can vary with CO2 and irradiance, the underlying conductance at the cellular level may remain unchanged. Dynamic changes in apparent gm arise for spatial reasons and because chloroplasts differ in their photosynthetic composition and operate in different light environments. Measurements of the temperature sensitivity of membrane CO2 permeability are urgently needed to explain variation in temperature responses of gm .
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Evans
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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16
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Pignon CP, Long SP. Retrospective analysis of biochemical limitations to photosynthesis in 49 species: C 4 crops appear still adapted to pre-industrial atmospheric [CO 2 ]. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:2606-2622. [PMID: 32743797 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Leaf CO2 uptake (A) in C4 photosynthesis is limited by the maximum apparent rate of PEPc carboxylation (Vpmax ) at low intercellular [CO2 ] (ci ) with a sharp transition to a ci -saturated rate (Vmax ) due to co-limitation by ribulose-1:5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and regeneration of PEP. The response of A to ci has been widely used to determine these two parameters. Vmax and Vpmax depend on different enzymes but draw on a shared pool of leaf resources, such that resource distribution is optimized, and A maximized, when Vmax and Vpmax are co-limiting. We collected published A/ci curves in 49 C4 species and assessed variation in photosynthetic traits between phylogenetic groups, and as a function of atmospheric [CO2 ]. The balance of Vmax -Vpmax varied among evolutionary lineages and C4 subtypes. Operating A was strongly Vmax -limited, such that re-allocation of resources from Vpmax towards Vmax was predicted to improve A by 12% in C4 crops. This would not require additional inputs but rather altered partitioning of existing leaf nutrients, resulting in increased water and nutrient-use efficiency. Optimal partitioning was achieved only in plants grown at pre-industrial atmospheric [CO2 ], suggesting C4 crops have not adjusted to the rapid increase in atmospheric [CO2 ] of the past few decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles P Pignon
- Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and Departments of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephen P Long
- Carl Woese Institute for Genomic Biology and Departments of Crop Sciences and Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois, USA
- Lancaster Environment Centre, University of Lancaster, UK
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17
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Perera-Castro AV, Waterman MJ, Turnbull JD, Ashcroft MB, McKinley E, Watling JR, Bramley-Alves J, Casanova-Katny A, Zuniga G, Flexas J, Robinson SA. It Is Hot in the Sun: Antarctic Mosses Have High Temperature Optima for Photosynthesis Despite Cold Climate. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1178. [PMID: 32922412 PMCID: PMC7457050 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The terrestrial flora of Antarctica's frozen continent is restricted to sparse ice-free areas and dominated by lichens and bryophytes. These plants frequently battle sub-zero temperatures, extreme winds and reduced water availability; all influencing their ability to survive and grow. Antarctic mosses, however, can have canopy temperatures well above air temperature. At midday, canopy temperatures can exceed 15°C, depending on moss turf water content. In this study, the optimum temperature of photosynthesis was determined for six Antarctic moss species: Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Ceratodon purpureus, Chorisodontium aciphyllum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sanionia uncinata, and Schistidium antarctici collected from King George Island (maritime Antarctica) and/or the Windmill Islands, East Antarctica. Both chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange showed maximum values of electron transport rate occurred at canopy temperatures higher than 20°C. The optimum temperature for both net assimilation of CO2 and photoprotective heat dissipation of three East Antarctic species was 20-30°C and at temperatures below 10°C, mesophyll conductance did not significantly differ from 0. Maximum mitochondrial respiration rates occurred at temperatures higher than 35°C and were lower by around 80% at 5°C. Despite the extreme cold conditions that Antarctic mosses face over winter, the photosynthetic apparatus appears optimised to warm temperatures. Our estimation of the total carbon balance suggests that survival in this cold environment may rely on a capacity to maximize photosynthesis for brief periods during summer and minimize respiratory carbon losses in cold conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia V. Perera-Castro
- Department of Biology, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Melinda J. Waterman
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Johanna D. Turnbull
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael B. Ashcroft
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Ella McKinley
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jennifer R. Watling
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
- Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica Bramley-Alves
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Angelica Casanova-Katny
- Laboratorio de Ecofisiología Vegetal y Cambio Climático y Núcleo de Estudios Ambientales (NEA), Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Católica de Temuco, Temuco, Chile
| | - Gustavo Zuniga
- Facultad de Química y Biología, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Jaume Flexas
- Department of Biology, Universitat de les Illes Balears, INAGEA, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
| | - Sharon A. Robinson
- Centre for Sustainable Ecosystem Solutions, School of Earth, Atmosphere and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
- Global Challenges Program, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
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18
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Pathare VS, Sonawane BV, Koteyeva N, Cousins AB. C 4 grasses adapted to low precipitation habitats show traits related to greater mesophyll conductance and lower leaf hydraulic conductance. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2020; 43:1897-1910. [PMID: 32449181 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In habitats with low water availability, a fundamental challenge for plants will be to maximize photosynthetic C-gain while minimizing transpirational water-loss. This trade-off between C-gain and water-loss can in part be achieved through the coordination of leaf-level photosynthetic and hydraulic traits. To test the relationship of photosynthetic C-gain and transpirational water-loss, we grew, under common growth conditions, 18 C4 grasses adapted to habitats with different mean annual precipitation (MAP) and measured leaf-level structural and anatomical traits associated with mesophyll conductance (gm ) and leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf ). The C4 grasses adapted to lower MAP showed greater mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular air spaces (Smes ) and adaxial stomatal density (SDada ) which supported greater gm . These grasses also showed greater leaf thickness and vein-to-epidermis distance, which may lead to lower Kleaf . Additionally, grasses with greater gm and lower Kleaf also showed greater photosynthetic rates (Anet ) and leaf-level water-use efficiency (WUE). In summary, we identify a suite of leaf-level traits that appear important for adaptation of C4 grasses to habitats with low MAP and may be useful to identify C4 species showing greater Anet and WUE in drier conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha S Pathare
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Balasaheb V Sonawane
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Nouria Koteyeva
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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19
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Sonawane BV, Cousins AB. Mesophyll CO 2 conductance and leakiness are not responsive to short- and long-term soil water limitations in the C 4 plant Sorghum bicolor. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 103:1590-1602. [PMID: 32438487 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Breeding economically important C4 crops for enhanced whole-plant water-use efficiency (WUEplant ) is needed for sustainable agriculture. WUEplant is a complex trait and an efficient phenotyping method that reports on components of WUEplant , such as intrinsic water-use efficiency (WUEi , the rate of leaf CO2 assimilation relative to water loss via stomatal conductance), is needed. In C4 plants, theoretical models suggest that leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13 C), when the efficiency of the CO2 -concentrating mechanism (leakiness, ϕ) remains constant, can be used to screen for WUEi . The limited information about how ϕ responds to water limitations confines the application of δ13 C for WUEi screening of C4 crops. The current research aimed to test the response of ϕ to short- or long-term moderate water limitations, and the relationship of δ13 C with WUEi and WUEplant , by addressing potential mesophyll CO2 conductance (gm ) and biochemical limitations in the C4 plant Sorghum bicolor. We demonstrate that gm and ϕ are not responsive to short- or long-term water limitations. Additionally, δ13 C was not correlated with gas-exchange estimates of WUEi under short- and long-term water limitations, but showed a significant negative relationship with WUEplant . The observed association between the δ13 C and WUEplant suggests an intrinsic link of δ13 C with WUEi in this C4 plant, and can potentially be used as a screening tool for WUEplant in sorghum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasaheb V Sonawane
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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20
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Serrano-Romero EA, Cousins AB. Cold acclimation of mesophyll conductance, bundle-sheath conductance and leakiness in Miscanthus × giganteus. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:1594-1606. [PMID: 32112409 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The cold acclimations of mesophyll conductance (gm ), bundle-sheath conductance (gbs ) and the CO2 concentrating mechanism (CCM) of C4 plants have not been well studied. Here, we estimated the temperature response of gm , gbs and leakiness (ϕ), the amount of concentrated CO2 that escapes the bundle-sheath cells, for the chilling-tolerant C4 plant Miscanthus × giganteus grown at 14 and 25°C. To estimate these parameters, we combined the C4 -enzyme-limited photosynthesis model and the Δ13 C discrimination model. These combined models were parameterised using in vitro activities of carbonic anhydrase (CA), pyruvate, phosphate dikinase (PPDK), ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPc). Cold-grown Miscanthus plants increased in vitro activities of RuBisCO and PPDK but decreased PEPc activity compared with warm-grown plants. Mesophyll conductance and gbs responded strongly to measurement temperatures but did not differ between plants from the two growth temperatures. Furthermore, modelling showed that ϕ increased with measurement temperatures for both cold-grown and warm-grown plants, but was only marginally larger in cold-grown compared with warm-grown plants. Our results in Miscanthus support that gm and gbs are unresponsive to growth temperature and that the CCM is able to acclimate to cold through increased activity of PPDK and RuBisCO.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
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21
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Zhu XG, Ort DR, Parry MAJ, von Caemmerer S. A wish list for synthetic biology in photosynthesis research. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2020; 71:2219-2225. [PMID: 32060550 PMCID: PMC7134917 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/eraa075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This perspective summarizes the presentations and discussions at the ' International Symposium on Synthetic Biology in Photosynthesis Research', which was held in Shanghai in 2018. Leveraging the current advanced understanding of photosynthetic systems, the symposium brain-stormed about the redesign and engineering of photosynthetic systems for translational goals and evaluated available new technologies/tools for synthetic biology as well as technological obstacles and new tools that would be needed to overcome them. Four major research areas for redesigning photosynthesis were identified: (i) mining natural variations of photosynthesis; (ii) coordinating photosynthesis with pathways utilizing photosynthate; (iii) reconstruction of highly efficient photosynthetic systems in non-host species; and (iv) development of new photosynthetic systems that do not exist in nature. To expedite photosynthesis synthetic biology research, an array of new technologies and community resources need to be developed, which include expanded modelling capacities, molecular engineering toolboxes, model species, and phenotyping tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin-Guang Zhu
- Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology and Center for Excellence for Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Donald R Ort
- Departments of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Acton, Australia
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22
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Cousins AB, Mullendore DL, Sonawane BV. Recent developments in mesophyll conductance in C3, C4, and crassulacean acid metabolism plants. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:816-830. [PMID: 31960507 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The conductance of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) from the substomatal cavities to the initial sites of CO2 fixation (gm ) can significantly reduce the availability of CO2 for photosynthesis. There have been many recent reviews on: (i) the importance of gm for accurately modelling net rates of CO2 assimilation, (ii) on how leaf biochemical and anatomical factors influence gm , (iii) the technical limitation of estimating gm , which cannot be directly measured, and (iv) how gm responds to long- and short-term changes in growth and measurement environmental conditions. Therefore, this review will highlight these previous publications but will attempt not to repeat what has already been published. We will instead initially focus on the recent developments on the two-resistance model of gm that describe the potential of photorespiratory and respiratory CO2 released within the mitochondria to diffuse directly into both the chloroplast and the cytosol. Subsequently, we summarize recent developments in the three-dimensional (3-D) reaction-diffusion models and 3-D image analysis that are providing new insights into how the complex structure and organization of the leaf influences gm . Finally, because most of the reviews and literature on gm have traditionally focused on C3 plants we review in the final sections some of the recent developments, current understanding and measurement techniques of gm in C4 and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants. These plants have both specialized leaf anatomy and either a spatially or temporally separated CO2 concentrating mechanisms (C4 and CAM, respectively) that influence how we interpret and estimate gm compared with a C3 plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Daniel L Mullendore
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Balasaheb V Sonawane
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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23
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Knauer J, Zaehle S, De Kauwe MG, Haverd V, Reichstein M, Sun Y. Mesophyll conductance in land surface models: effects on photosynthesis and transpiration. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2020; 101:858-873. [PMID: 31659806 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.14587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The CO2 transfer conductance within plant leaves (mesophyll conductance, gm ) is currently not considered explicitly in most land surface models (LSMs), but instead treated implicitly as an intrinsic property of the photosynthetic machinery. Here, we review approaches to overcome this model deficiency by explicitly accounting for gm , which comprises the re-adjustment of photosynthetic parameters and a model describing the variation of gm in dependence of environmental conditions. An explicit representation of gm causes changes in the response of photosynthesis to environmental factors, foremost leaf temperature, and ambient CO2 concentration, which are most pronounced when gm is small. These changes in leaf-level photosynthesis translate into a stronger climate and CO2 response of gross primary productivity (GPP) and transpiration at the global scale. The results from two independent studies show consistent latitudinal patterns of these effects with biggest differences in GPP in the boreal zone (up to ~15%). Transpiration and evapotranspiration show spatially similar, but attenuated, changes compared with GPP. These changes are indirect effects of gm caused by the assumed strong coupling between stomatal conductance and photosynthesis in current LSMs. Key uncertainties in these simulations are the variation of gm with light and the robustness of its temperature response across plant types and growth conditions. Future research activities focusing on the response of gm to environmental factors and its relation to other plant traits have the potential to improve the representation of photosynthesis in LSMs and to better understand its present and future role in the Earth system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Knauer
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Sönke Zaehle
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Michael-Stifel Center Jena for Data-Driven and Simulation Science, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Martin G De Kauwe
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Climate Change Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052, NSW, Australia
| | - Vanessa Haverd
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Markus Reichstein
- Department of Biogeochemical Integration, Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Michael-Stifel Center Jena for Data-Driven and Simulation Science, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Ying Sun
- School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14850, USA
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24
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Pathare VS, Koteyeva N, Cousins AB. Increased adaxial stomatal density is associated with greater mesophyll surface area exposed to intercellular air spaces and mesophyll conductance in diverse C 4 grasses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 225:169-182. [PMID: 31400232 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance (gm ) is the diffusion of CO2 from intercellular air spaces (IAS) to the first site of carboxylation in the mesophyll cells. In C3 species, gm is influenced by diverse leaf structural and anatomical traits; however, little is known about traits affecting gm in C4 species. To address this knowledge gap, we used online oxygen isotope discrimination measurements to estimate gm and microscopy techniques to measure leaf structural and anatomical traits potentially related to gm in 18 C4 grasses. In this study, gm scaled positively with photosynthesis and intrinsic water-use efficiency (TEi ), but not with stomatal conductance. Also, gm was not determined by a single trait but was positively correlated with adaxial stomatal densities (SDada ), stomatal ratio (SR), mesophyll surface area exposed to IAS (Smes ) and leaf thickness. However, gm was not related to abaxial stomatal densities (SDaba ) and mesophyll cell wall thickness (TCW ). Our study suggests that greater SDada and SR increased gm by increasing Smes and creating additional parallel pathways for CO2 diffusion inside mesophyll cells. Thus, SDada , SR and Smes are important determinants of C4 -gm and could be the target traits selected or modified for achieving greater gm and TEi in C4 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varsha S Pathare
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Nuria Koteyeva
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 197376, St Petersburg, Russia
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
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25
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Giuliani R, Karki S, Covshoff S, Lin HC, Coe RA, Koteyeva NK, Evans MA, Quick WP, von Caemmerer S, Furbank RT, Hibberd JM, Edwards GE, Cousins AB. Transgenic maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase alters leaf-atmosphere CO 2 and 13CO 2 exchanges in Oryza sativa. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2019; 142:153-167. [PMID: 31325077 PMCID: PMC6848035 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-019-00655-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The engineering process of C4 photosynthesis into C3 plants requires an increased activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in the cytosol of leaf mesophyll cells. The literature varies on the physiological effect of transgenic maize (Zea mays) PEPC (ZmPEPC) leaf expression in Oryza sativa (rice). Therefore, to address this issue, leaf-atmosphere CO2 and 13CO2 exchanges were measured, both in the light (at atmospheric O2 partial pressure of 1.84 kPa and at different CO2 levels) and in the dark, in transgenic rice expressing ZmPEPC and wild-type (WT) plants. The in vitro PEPC activity was 25 times higher in the PEPC overexpressing (PEPC-OE) plants (~20% of maize) compared to the negligible activity in WT. In the PEPC-OE plants, the estimated fraction of carboxylation by PEPC (β) was ~6% and leaf net biochemical discrimination against 13CO2[Formula: see text] was ~ 2‰ lower than in WT. However, there were no differences in leaf net CO2 assimilation rates (A) between genotypes, while the leaf dark respiration rates (Rd) over three hours after light-dark transition were enhanced (~ 30%) and with a higher 13C composition [Formula: see text] in the PEPC-OE plants compared to WT. These data indicate that ZmPEPC in the PEPC-OE rice plants contributes to leaf carbon metabolism in both the light and in the dark. However, there are some factors, potentially posttranslational regulation and PEP availability, which reduce ZmPEPC activity in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Giuliani
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Shanta Karki
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Sarah Covshoff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Hsiang-Chun Lin
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Robert A Coe
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Nuria K Koteyeva
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Popov Street 2, St. Petersburg, Russia, 197376
| | - Marc A Evans
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-3113, USA
| | - W Paul Quick
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EA, UK
| | - Gerald E Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA.
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26
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Zhou H, Akçay E, Helliker BR. Estimating C 4 photosynthesis parameters by fitting intensive A/C i curves. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2019; 141:181-194. [PMID: 30758752 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-019-00619-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of photosynthetic assimilation rate as a function of intercellular CO2 (A/Ci curves) are widely used to estimate photosynthetic parameters for C3 species, yet few parameters have been reported for C4 plants, because of a lack of estimation methods. Here, we extend the framework of widely used estimation methods for C3 plants to build estimation tools by exclusively fitting intensive A/Ci curves (6-8 more sampling points) for C4 using three versions of photosynthesis models with different assumptions about carbonic anhydrase processes and ATP distribution. We use simulation analysis, out of sample tests, existing in vitro measurements and chlorophyll-fluorescence measurements to validate the new estimation methods. Of the five/six photosynthetic parameters obtained, sensitivity analyses show that maximal-Rubisco-carboxylation-rate, electron-transport-rate, maximal-PEP-carboxylation-rate, and carbonic-anhydrase were robust to variation in the input parameters, while day respiration and mesophyll conductance varied. Our method provides a way to estimate carbonic anhydrase activity, a new parameter, from A/Ci curves, yet also shows that models that do not explicitly consider carbonic anhydrase yield approximate results. The two photosynthesis models, differing in whether ATP could freely transport between RuBP and PEP regeneration processes yielded consistent results under high light, but they may diverge under low light intensities. Modeling results show selection for Rubisco of low specificity and high catalytic rate, low leakage of bundle sheath, and high PEPC affinity, which may further increase C4 efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhou
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 S University Ave., 314 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Erol Akçay
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 S University Ave., 314 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Brent R Helliker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 433 S University Ave., 314 Leidy Labs, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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27
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Cano FJ, Sharwood RE, Cousins AB, Ghannoum O. The role of leaf width and conductances to CO 2 in determining water use efficiency in C 4 grasses. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1280-1295. [PMID: 31087798 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2019] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
C4 plants achieve higher photosynthesis (An ) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) than C3 plants, but processes underpinning the variability in An and iWUE across the three C4 subtypes remain unclear, partly because we lack an integrated framework for quantifying the contribution of diffusional and biochemical limitations to C4 photosynthesis. We exploited the natural diversity among C4 grasses to develop an original mathematical approach for estimating eight key processes of C4 photosynthesis and their relative limitations to An . We also developed a new formulation to estimate mesophyll conductance (gm ) based on actual hydration rates of CO2 by carbonic anhydrases. We found a positive relationship between gm and iWUE and an inverse correlation with gsw among C4 grasses. We also revealed subtype-specific regulatory processes of iWUE that may be related to known anatomical traits characterising each C4 subtype. Leaf width was an important determinant of iWUE and showed significant correlations with key limitations of An , especially among NADP-ME species. In conclusion, incorporating leaf width in breeding trials may unlock new opportunities for C4 crops because the revealed negative relationship between leaf width and iWUE may translate into higher crop and canopy WUE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Javier Cano
- ARC Centre of Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2753, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- ARC Centre of Translational Photosynthesis and Australian National University, Research School of Biology, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- ARC Centre of Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, 2753, Australia
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28
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Ubierna N, Cernusak LA, Holloway-Phillips M, Busch FA, Cousins AB, Farquhar GD. Critical review: incorporating the arrangement of mitochondria and chloroplasts into models of photosynthesis and carbon isotope discrimination. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2019; 141:5-31. [PMID: 30955143 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-019-00635-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The arrangement of mitochondria and chloroplasts, together with the relative resistances of cell wall and chloroplast, determine the path of diffusion out of the leaf for (photo)respired CO2. Traditional photosynthesis models have assumed a tight arrangement of chloroplasts packed together against the cell wall with mitochondria located behind the chloroplasts, deep inside the cytosol. Accordingly, all (photo)respired CO2 must cross the chloroplast before diffusing out of the leaf. Different arrangements have recently been considered, where all or part of the (photo)respired CO2 diffuses through the cytosol without ever entering the chloroplast. Assumptions about the path for the (photo)respiratory flux are particularly relevant for the calculation of mesophyll conductance (gm). If (photo)respired CO2 can diffuse elsewhere besides the chloroplast, apparent gm is no longer a mere physical resistance but a flux-weighted variable sensitive to the ratio of (photo)respiration to net CO2 assimilation. We discuss existing photosynthesis models in conjunction with their treatment of the (photo)respiratory flux and present new equations applicable to the generalized case where (photo)respired CO2 can diffuse both into the chloroplast and through the cytosol. Additionally, we present a new generalized Δ13C model that incorporates this dual diffusion pathway. We assess how assumptions about the fate of (photo)respired CO2 affect the interpretation of photosynthetic data and the challenges it poses for the application of different models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Ubierna
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Lucas A Cernusak
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
| | | | - Florian A Busch
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA
| | - Graham D Farquhar
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, 2601, Australia
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29
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Giuliani R, Karki S, Covshoff S, Lin HC, Coe RA, Koteyeva NK, Quick WP, Von Caemmerer S, Furbank RT, Hibberd JM, Edwards GE, Cousins AB. Knockdown of glycine decarboxylase complex alters photorespiratory carbon isotope fractionation in Oryza sativa leaves. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:2773-2786. [PMID: 30840760 PMCID: PMC6506765 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz083] [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: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The influence of reduced glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) activity on leaf atmosphere CO2 and 13CO2 exchange was tested in transgenic Oryza sativa with the GDC H-subunit knocked down in leaf mesophyll cells. Leaf measurements on transgenic gdch knockdown and wild-type plants were carried out in the light under photorespiratory and low photorespiratory conditions (i.e. 18.4 kPa and 1.84 kPa atmospheric O2 partial pressure, respectively), and in the dark. Under approximately current ambient O2 partial pressure (18.4 kPa pO2), the gdch knockdown plants showed an expected photorespiratory-deficient phenotype, with lower leaf net CO2 assimilation rates (A) than the wild-type. Additionally, under these conditions, the gdch knockdown plants had greater leaf net discrimination against 13CO2 (Δo) than the wild-type. This difference in Δo was in part due to lower 13C photorespiratory fractionation (f) ascribed to alternative decarboxylation of photorespiratory intermediates. Furthermore, the leaf dark respiration rate (Rd) was enhanced and the 13CO2 composition of respired CO2 (δ13CRd) showed a tendency to be more depleted in the gdch knockdown plants. These changes in Rd and δ13CRd were due to the amount and carbon isotopic composition of substrates available for dark respiration. These results demonstrate that impairment of the photorespiratory pathway affects leaf 13CO2 exchange, particularly the 13C decarboxylation fractionation associated with photorespiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Giuliani
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Shanta Karki
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Sarah Covshoff
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Hsiang-Chun Lin
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Robert A Coe
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
| | - Nuria K Koteyeva
- Laboratory of Anatomy and Morphology, V.L. Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia
| | - W Paul Quick
- C4 Rice Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los Baños, Philippines
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Susanne Von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Julian M Hibberd
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerald E Edwards
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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30
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Knauer J, Zaehle S, De Kauwe MG, Bahar NHA, Evans JR, Medlyn BE, Reichstein M, Werner C. Effects of mesophyll conductance on vegetation responses to elevated CO 2 concentrations in a land surface model. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:1820-1838. [PMID: 30809890 PMCID: PMC6487956 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance (gm ) is known to affect plant photosynthesis. However, gm is rarely explicitly considered in land surface models (LSMs), with the consequence that its role in ecosystem and large-scale carbon and water fluxes is poorly understood. In particular, the different magnitudes of gm across plant functional types (PFTs) are expected to cause spatially divergent vegetation responses to elevated CO2 concentrations. Here, an extensive literature compilation of gm across major vegetation types is used to parameterize an empirical model of gm in the LSM JSBACH and to adjust photosynthetic parameters based on simulated An - Ci curves. We demonstrate that an explicit representation of gm changes the response of photosynthesis to environmental factors, which cannot be entirely compensated by adjusting photosynthetic parameters. These altered responses lead to changes in the photosynthetic sensitivity to atmospheric CO2 concentrations which depend both on the magnitude of gm and the climatic conditions, particularly temperature. We then conducted simulations under ambient and elevated (ambient + 200 μmol/mol) CO2 concentrations for contrasting ecosystems and for historical and anticipated future climate conditions (representative concentration pathways; RCPs) globally. The gm -explicit simulations using the RCP8.5 scenario resulted in significantly higher increases in gross primary productivity (GPP) in high latitudes (+10% to + 25%), intermediate increases in temperate regions (+5% to + 15%), and slightly lower to moderately higher responses in tropical regions (-2% to +5%), which summed up to moderate GPP increases globally. Similar patterns were found for transpiration, but with a lower magnitude. Our results suggest that the effect of an explicit representation of gm is most important for simulated carbon and water fluxes in the boreal zone, where a cold climate coincides with evergreen vegetation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jürgen Knauer
- Department of Biogeochemical IntegrationMax Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS gBGC)JenaGermany
| | - Sönke Zaehle
- Department of Biogeochemical IntegrationMax Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- Michael‐Stifel Center Jena for Data‐Driven and Simulation ScienceJenaGermany
| | - Martin G. De Kauwe
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and the Climate Change Research CentreUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Nur H. A. Bahar
- ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology, Division of Plant SciencesResearch School of Biology, Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - John R. Evans
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant SciencesResearch School of Biology, Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Belinda E. Medlyn
- Hawkesbury Institute for the EnvironmentWestern Sydney UniversityRichmondNSWAustralia
| | - Markus Reichstein
- Department of Biogeochemical IntegrationMax Planck Institute for BiogeochemistryJenaGermany
- Michael‐Stifel Center Jena for Data‐Driven and Simulation ScienceJenaGermany
| | - Christiane Werner
- Department of Ecosystem PhysiologyUniversity of FreiburgFreiburgGermany
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31
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Wu A, Hammer GL, Doherty A, von Caemmerer S, Farquhar GD. Quantifying impacts of enhancing photosynthesis on crop yield. NATURE PLANTS 2019; 5:380-388. [PMID: 30962528 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0398-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Enhancing photosynthesis is widely accepted as critical to advancing crop yield. However, yield consequences of photosynthetic manipulation are confounded by feedback effects arising from interactions with crop growth, development dynamics and the prevailing environment. Here, we developed a cross-scale modelling capability that connects leaf photosynthesis to crop yield in a manner that addresses the confounding factors. The model was validated using data on crop biomass and yield for wheat and sorghum from diverse field experiments. Consequences for yield were simulated for major photosynthetic enhancement targets related to leaf CO2 and light energy capture efficiencies, and for combinations of these targets. Predicted impacts showed marked variation and were dependent on the photosynthetic enhancement, crop type and environment, especially the degree of water limitation. The importance of interdependencies operating across scales of biological organization was highlighted, as was the need to increase understanding and modelling of the photosynthesis-stomatal conductance link to better quantify impacts of enhancing photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex Wu
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Graeme L Hammer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Al Doherty
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Centre for Crop Science, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Graham D Farquhar
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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32
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Sonawane BV, Cousins AB. Uncertainties and limitations of using carbon-13 and oxygen-18 leaf isotope exchange to estimate the temperature response of mesophyll CO 2 conductance in C 3 plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 222:122-131. [PMID: 30394538 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 10/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The internal CO2 gradient imposed by mesophyll conductance (gm ) reduces substrate availability for C3 photosynthesis. With several assumptions, estimates of gm can be made from coupled leaf gas exchange with isoflux analysis of carbon ∆13 C-gm and oxygen in CO2 , coupled with transpired water (H2 O) ∆18 O-gm to partition gm into its biochemical and anatomical components. However, these assumptions require validation under changing leaf temperatures. To test these assumptions, we measured and modeled the temperature response (15-40°C) of ∆13 C-gm and ∆18 O-gm along with leaf biochemistry in the C3 grass Panicum bisulcatum, which has naturally low carbonic anhydrase activity. Our study suggests that assumptions regarding the extent of isotopic equilibrium (θ) between CO2 and H2 O at the site of exchange, and that the isotopic composition of the H2 O at the sites of evaporation ( δw-e18 ) and at the site of exchange ( δw-ce18 ) are similar, may lead to errors in estimating the ∆18 O-gm temperature response. The input parameters for ∆13 C-gm appear to be less sensitive to temperature. However, this needs to be tested in species with diverse carbonic anhydrase activity. Additional information on the temperature dependency of cytosolic and chloroplastic pH may clarify uncertainties used for ∆18 O-gm under changing leaf temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasaheb V Sonawane
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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33
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Kolbe AR, Studer AJ, Cornejo OE, Cousins AB. Insights from transcriptome profiling on the non-photosynthetic and stomatal signaling response of maize carbonic anhydrase mutants to low CO 2. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:138. [PMID: 30767781 PMCID: PMC6377783 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-5522-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Carbonic anhydrase (CA) catalyzes the hydration of CO2 in the first biochemical step of C4 photosynthesis, and has been considered a potentially rate-limiting step when CO2 availability within a leaf is low. Previous work in Zea mays (maize) with a double knockout of the two highest-expressed β-CA genes, CA1 and CA2, reduced total leaf CA activity to less than 3% of wild-type. Surprisingly, this did not limit photosynthesis in maize at ambient or higher CO2concentrations. However, the ca1ca2 mutants exhibited reduced rates of photosynthesis at sub-ambient CO2, and accumulated less biomass when grown under sub-ambient CO2 (9.2 Pa). To further clarify the importance of CA for C4 photosynthesis, we assessed gene expression changes in wild-type, ca1 and ca1ca2 mutants in response to changes in pCO2 from 920 to 9.2 Pa. RESULTS Leaf samples from each genotype were collected for RNA-seq analysis at high CO2 and at two time points after the low CO2 transition, in order to identify early and longer-term responses to CO2 deprivation. Despite the existence of multiple isoforms of CA, no other CA genes were upregulated in CA mutants. Although photosynthetic genes were downregulated in response to low CO2, differential expression was not observed between genotypes. However, multiple indicators of carbon starvation were present in the mutants, including amino acid synthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, and sugar signaling. In particular, multiple genes previously implicated in low carbon stress such as asparagine synthetase, amino acid transporters, trehalose-6-phosphate synthase, as well as many transcription factors, were strongly upregulated. Furthermore, genes in the CO2 stomatal signaling pathway were differentially expressed in the CA mutants under low CO2. CONCLUSIONS Using a transcriptomic approach, we showed that carbonic anhydrase mutants do not compensate for the lack of CA activity by upregulating other CA or photosynthetic genes, but rather experienced extreme carbon stress when grown under low CO2. Our results also support a role for CA in the CO2 stomatal signaling pathway. This study provides insight into the importance of CA for C4 photosynthesis and its role in stomatal signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R. Kolbe
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA
| | - Anthony J. Studer
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Omar E. Cornejo
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA
| | - Asaph B. Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA USA
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Boyd RA, Cavanagh AP, Kubien DS, Cousins AB. Temperature response of Rubisco kinetics in Arabidopsis thaliana: thermal breakpoints and implications for reaction mechanisms. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:231-242. [PMID: 30403800 PMCID: PMC6305185 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Enhancement of Rubisco kinetics could improve photosynthetic efficiency, ultimately resulting in increased crop yield. However, imprecise knowledge of the reaction mechanism and the individual rate constants limits our ability to optimize the enzyme. Membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS) may offer benefits over traditional methods for determining individual rate constants of the Rubisco reaction mechanism, as it can directly monitor concentration changes in CO2, O2, and their isotopologs during assays. However, a direct comparison of MIMS with the traditional radiolabel method of determining Rubisco kinetic parameters has not been made. Here, the temperature responses of Rubisco kinetic parameters from Arabidopsis thaliana were measured using radiolabel and MIMS methods. The two methods provided comparable parameters above 25 °C, but temperature responses deviated at low temperature as MIMS-derived catalytic rates of carboxylation, oxygenation, and CO2/O2 specificity showed thermal breakpoints. Here, we discuss the variability and uncertainty surrounding breakpoints in the Rubisco temperature response and the relevance of individual rate constants of the reaction mechanisms to potential breakpoints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan A Boyd
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Amanda P Cavanagh
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - David S Kubien
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, Canada
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Sonawane BV, Sharwood RE, Whitney S, Ghannoum O. Shade compromises the photosynthetic efficiency of NADP-ME less than that of PEP-CK and NAD-ME C4 grasses. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:3053-3068. [PMID: 29659931 PMCID: PMC5972597 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/ery129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The high energy cost and apparently low plasticity of C4 photosynthesis compared with C3 photosynthesis may limit the productivity and distribution of C4 plants in low light (LL) environments. C4 photosynthesis evolved numerous times, but it remains unclear how different biochemical subtypes perform under LL. We grew eight C4 grasses belonging to three biochemical subtypes [NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME), and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEP-CK)] under shade (16% sunlight) or control (full sunlight) conditions and measured their photosynthetic characteristics at both low and high light. We show for the first time that LL (during measurement or growth) compromised the CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) to a greater extent in NAD-ME than in PEP-CK or NADP-ME C4 grasses by virtue of a greater increase in carbon isotope discrimination (∆P) and bundle sheath CO2 leakiness (ϕ), and a greater reduction in photosynthetic quantum yield (Φmax). These responses were partly explained by changes in the ratios of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC)/initial Rubisco activity and dark respiration/photosynthesis (Rd/A). Shade induced a greater photosynthetic acclimation in NAD-ME than in NADP-ME and PEP-CK species due to a greater Rubisco deactivation. Shade also reduced plant dry mass to a greater extent in NAD-ME and PEP-CK relative to NADP-ME grasses. In conclusion, LL compromised the co-ordination of the C4 and C3 cycles and, hence, the efficiency of the CCM to a greater extent in NAD-ME than in PEP-CK species, while CCM efficiency was less impacted by LL in NADP-ME species. Consequently, NADP-ME species are more efficient at LL, which could explain their agronomic and ecological dominance relative to other C4 grasses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasaheb V Sonawane
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Spencer Whitney
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, NSW, Australia
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Kolbe AR, Studer AJ, Cousins AB. Biochemical and transcriptomic analysis of maize diversity to elucidate drivers of leaf carbon isotope composition. FUNCTIONAL PLANT BIOLOGY : FPB 2018; 45:489-500. [PMID: 32290988 DOI: 10.1071/fp17265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Carbon isotope discrimination is used to study CO2 diffusion, substrate availability for photosynthesis, and leaf biochemistry, but the intraspecific drivers of leaf carbon isotope composition (δ13C) in C4 species are not well understood. In this study, the role of photosynthetic enzymes and post-photosynthetic fractionation on δ13C (‰) was explored across diverse maize inbred lines. A significant 1.3‰ difference in δ13C was observed between lines but δ13C did not correlate with in vitro leaf carbonic anhydrase (CA), phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC), or ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activity. RNA-sequencing was used to identify potential differences in post-photosynthetic metabolism that would influence δ13C; however, no correlations were identified that would indicate significant differences in post-photosynthetic fractionation between lines. Variation in δ13C has been observed between C4 subtypes, but differential expression of NADP-ME and PEP-CK pathways within these lines did not correlate with δ13C. However, co-expression network analysis provided novel evidence for isoforms of C4 enzymes and putative transporters. Together, these data indicate that diversity in maize δ13C cannot be fully explained by variation in CA, PEPC, or Rubisco activity or gene expression. The findings further emphasise the need for future work exploring the influence of stomatal sensitivity and mesophyll conductance on δ13C in maize.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Kolbe
- School of Biological Sciences, PO Box 644236, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Anthony J Studer
- Department of Crop Sciences, 1201 West Gregory Drive, Edward R. Madigan Laboratory 289, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, PO Box 644236, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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Kolbe AR, Cousins AB. Mesophyll conductance in Zea mays responds transiently to CO 2 availability: implications for transpiration efficiency in C 4 crops. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 217:1463-1474. [PMID: 29220090 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14942] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance (gm ) describes the movement of CO2 from the intercellular air spaces below the stomata to the site of initial carboxylation in the mesophyll. In contrast with C3 -gm , little is currently known about the intraspecific variation in C4 -gm or its responsiveness to environmental stimuli. To address these questions, gm was measured on five maize (Zea mays) lines in response to CO2 , employing three different estimates of gm . Each of the methods indicated a significant response of gm to CO2 . Estimates of gm were similar between methods at ambient and higher CO2 , but diverged significantly at low partial pressures of CO2 . These differences are probably driven by incomplete chemical and isotopic equilibrium between CO2 and bicarbonate under these conditions. Carbonic anhydrase and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in vitro activity varied significantly despite similar values of gm and leaf anatomical traits. These results provide strong support for a CO2 response of gm in Z. mays, and indicate that gm in maize is probably driven by anatomical constraints rather than by biochemical limitations. The CO2 response of gm indicates a potential role for facilitated diffusion in C4 -gm . These results also suggest that water-use efficiency could be enhanced in C4 species by targeting gm .
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison R Kolbe
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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Ubierna N, Gandin A, Cousins AB. The response of mesophyll conductance to short-term variation in CO2 in the C4 plants Setaria viridis and Zea mays. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2018; 69:1159-1170. [PMID: 29474683 PMCID: PMC6018935 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Mesophyll conductance (gm) limits rates of C3 photosynthesis but little is known about its role in C4 photosynthesis. If gm were to limit C4 photosynthesis, it would likely be at low CO2 concentrations (pCO2). However, data on C4-gm across ranges of pCO2 are scarce. We describe the response of C4-gm to short-term variation in pCO2, at three temperatures in Setaria viridis, and at 25 °C in Zea mays. Additionally, we quantified the effect of finite gm calculations of leakiness (ϕ) and the potential limitations to photosynthesis imposed by stomata, mesophyll, and carbonic anhydrase (CA) across pCO2. In both species, gm increased with decreasing pCO2. Including a finite gm resulted in either no change or increased ϕ compared with values calculated with infinite gm depending on whether the observed 13C discrimination was high (Setaria) or low (Zea). Post-transitional regulation of the maximal PEP carboxylation rate and PEP regeneration limitation could influence estimates of gm and ϕ. At pCO2 below ambient, the photosynthetic rate was limited by CO2 availability. In this case, the limitation imposed by the mesophyll was similar or slightly lower than stomata limitation. At very low pCO2, CA further constrained photosynthesis. High gm could increase CO2 assimilation at low pCO2 and improve photosynthetic efficiency under situations when CO2 is limited, such as drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Ubierna
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Anthony Gandin
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Molecular Plant Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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Corrigendum. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2018; 217:956-959. [PMID: 29271036 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
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Sonawane BV, Sharwood RE, von Caemmerer S, Whitney SM, Ghannoum O. Short-term thermal photosynthetic responses of C4 grasses are independent of the biochemical subtype. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2017; 68:5583-5597. [PMID: 29045727 PMCID: PMC5853683 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erx350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved independently many times, resulting in multiple biochemical pathways; however, little is known about how these different pathways respond to temperature. We investigated the photosynthetic responses of eight C4 grasses belonging to three biochemical subtypes (NADP-ME, PEP-CK, and NAD-ME) to four leaf temperatures (18, 25, 32, and 40 °C). We also explored whether the biochemical subtype influences the thermal responses of (i) in vitro PEPC (Vpmax) and Rubisco (Vcmax) maximal activities, (ii) initial slope (IS) and CO2-saturated rate (CSR) derived from the A-Ci curves, and (iii) CO2 leakage out of the bundle sheath estimated from carbon isotope discrimination. We focussed on leakiness and the two carboxylases because they determine the coordination of the CO2-concentrating mechanism and are important for parameterizing the semi-mechanistic C4 photosynthesis model. We found that the thermal responses of Vpmax and Vcmax, IS, CSR, and leakiness varied among the C4 species independently of the biochemical subtype. No correlation was observed between Vpmax and IS or between Vcmax and CSR; while the ratios Vpmax/Vcmax and IS/CSR did not correlate with leakiness among the C4 grasses. Determining mesophyll and bundle sheath conductances in diverse C4 grasses is required to further elucidate how C4 photosynthesis responds to temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Balasaheb V Sonawane
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond NSW, Australia
| | - Robert E Sharwood
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, Australia
| | - Spencer M Whitney
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra ACT, Australia
| | - Oula Ghannoum
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis and Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond NSW, Australia
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Qiu C, Ethier G, Pepin S, Dubé P, Desjardins Y, Gosselin A. Persistent negative temperature response of mesophyll conductance in red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) leaves under both high and low vapour pressure deficits: a role for abscisic acid? PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2017. [PMID: 28620951 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The temperature dependence of mesophyll conductance (gm ) was measured in well-watered red raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) plants acclimated to leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficit (VPDL) daytime differentials of contrasting amplitude, keeping a fixed diurnal leaf temperature (Tleaf ) rise from 20 to 35 °C. Contrary to the great majority of gm temperature responses published to date, we found a pronounced reduction of gm with increasing Tleaf irrespective of leaf chamber O2 level and diurnal VPDL regime. Leaf hydraulic conductance was greatly enhanced during the warmer afternoon periods under both low (0.75 to 1.5 kPa) and high (0.75 to 3.5 kPa) diurnal VPDL regimes, unlike stomatal conductance (gs ), which decreased in the afternoon. Consequently, the leaf water status remained largely isohydric throughout the day, and therefore cannot be evoked to explain the diurnal decrease of gm . However, the concerted diurnal reductions of gm and gs were well correlated with increases in leaf abscisic acid (ABA) content, thus suggesting that ABA can induce a significant depression of gm under favourable leaf water status. Our results challenge the view that the temperature dependence of gm can be explained solely from dynamic leaf anatomical adjustments and/or from the known thermodynamic properties of aqueous solutions and lipid membranes..
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Affiliation(s)
- Changpeng Qiu
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gilbert Ethier
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Steeve Pepin
- Department of Soils and Agri-Food Engineering, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Pascal Dubé
- Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods (INAF), Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Desjardins
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
| | - André Gosselin
- Department of Plant Sciences, Laval University, Quebec, Canada
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Niinemets Ü, Berry JA, von Caemmerer S, Ort DR, Parry MAJ, Poorter H. Photosynthesis: ancient, essential, complex, diverse … and in need of improvement in a changing world. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 213:43-47. [PMID: 27891642 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, Tartu, 51014, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Kohtu 6, Tallinn, 10130, Estonia
| | - Joseph A Berry
- Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 260 Panama St, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Plant Science Division, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Donald R Ort
- USDA Agricultural Research Service & Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Martin A J Parry
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, UK
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG-2), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, 52425, Germany
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