1
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Stirbet A, Guo Y, Lazár D, Govindjee G. From leaf to multiscale models of photosynthesis: applications and challenges for crop improvement. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2024; 161:21-49. [PMID: 38619700 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-024-01083-9] [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: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
To keep up with the growth of human population and to circumvent deleterious effects of global climate change, it is essential to enhance crop yield to achieve higher production. Here we review mathematical models of oxygenic photosynthesis that are extensively used, and discuss in depth a subset that accounts for diverse approaches providing solutions to our objective. These include models (1) to study different ways to enhance photosynthesis, such as fine-tuning antenna size, photoprotection and electron transport; (2) to bioengineer carbon metabolism; and (3) to evaluate the interactions between the process of photosynthesis and the seasonal crop dynamics, or those that have included statistical whole-genome prediction methods to quantify the impact of photosynthesis traits on the improvement of crop yield. We conclude by emphasizing that the results obtained in these studies clearly demonstrate that mathematical modelling is a key tool to examine different approaches to improve photosynthesis for better productivity, while effective multiscale crop models, especially those that also include remote sensing data, are indispensable to verify different strategies to obtain maximized crop yields.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Advanced Process Control for Light Industry, Ministry of Education Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Dušan Lazár
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Palacký Univesity, Šlechtitelů 27, 78371, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Govindjee Govindjee
- Department of Biochemistry, Department of Plant Biology, and the Center of Biophysics & Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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2
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Patel-Tupper D, Kelikian A, Leipertz A, Maryn N, Tjahjadi M, Karavolias NG, Cho MJ, Niyogi KK. Multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis of rice PSBS1 noncoding sequences for transgene-free overexpression. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadm7452. [PMID: 38848363 PMCID: PMC11160471 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm7452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Understanding CRISPR-Cas9's capacity to produce native overexpression (OX) alleles would accelerate agronomic gains achievable by gene editing. To generate OX alleles with increased RNA and protein abundance, we leveraged multiplexed CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis of noncoding sequences upstream of the rice PSBS1 gene. We isolated 120 gene-edited alleles with varying non-photochemical quenching (NPQ) capacity in vivo-from knockout to overexpression-using a high-throughput screening pipeline. Overexpression increased OsPsbS1 protein abundance two- to threefold, matching fold changes obtained by transgenesis. Increased PsbS protein abundance enhanced NPQ capacity and water-use efficiency. Across our resolved genetic variation, we identify the role of 5'UTR indels and inversions in driving knockout/knockdown and overexpression phenotypes, respectively. Complex structural variants, such as the 252-kb duplication/inversion generated here, evidence the potential of CRISPR-Cas9 to facilitate significant genomic changes with negligible off-target transcriptomic perturbations. Our results may inform future gene-editing strategies for hypermorphic alleles and have advanced the pursuit of gene-edited, non-transgenic rice plants with accelerated relaxation of photoprotection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhruv Patel-Tupper
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Armen Kelikian
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Anna Leipertz
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nina Maryn
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Michelle Tjahjadi
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Nicholas G. Karavolias
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Myeong-Je Cho
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Krishna K. Niyogi
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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3
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Zhao L, Cai Z, Li Y, Zhang Y. Engineering Rubisco to enhance CO 2 utilization. Synth Syst Biotechnol 2024; 9:55-68. [PMID: 38273863 PMCID: PMC10809010 DOI: 10.1016/j.synbio.2023.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is a pivotal enzyme that mediates the fixation of CO2. As the most abundant protein on earth, Rubisco has a significant impact on global carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles. However, the significantly low carboxylation activity and competing oxygenase activity of Rubisco greatly impede high carbon fixation efficiency. This review first summarizes the current efforts in directly or indirectly modifying plant Rubisco, which has been challenging due to its high conservation and limitations in chloroplast transformation techniques. However, recent advancements in understanding Rubisco biogenesis with the assistance of chaperones have enabled successful heterologous expression of all Rubisco forms, including plant Rubisco, in microorganisms. This breakthrough facilitates the acquisition and evaluation of modified proteins, streamlining the measurement of their activity. Moreover, the establishment of a screening system in E. coli opens up possibilities for obtaining high-performance mutant enzymes through directed evolution. Finally, this review emphasizes the utilization of Rubisco in microorganisms, not only expanding their carbon-fixing capabilities but also holding significant potential for enhancing biotransformation processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zhen Cai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yin Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanping Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Microbial Physiological and Metabolic Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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4
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Fagerstedt KV, Pucciariello C, Pedersen O, Perata P. Recent progress in understanding the cellular and genetic basis of plant responses to low oxygen holds promise for developing flood-resilient crops. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:1217-1233. [PMID: 37991267 PMCID: PMC10901210 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad457] [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: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
With recent progress in active research on flooding and hypoxia/anoxia tolerance in native and agricultural crop plants, vast knowledge has been gained on both individual tolerance mechanisms and the general mechanisms of flooding tolerance in plants. Research on carbohydrate consumption, ethanolic and lactic acid fermentation, and their regulation under stress conditions has been accompanied by investigations on aerenchyma development and the emergence of the radial oxygen loss barrier in some plant species under flooded conditions. The discovery of the oxygen-sensing mechanism in plants and unravelling the intricacies of this mechanism have boosted this very international research effort. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of oxygen availability as a signalling component during plant development. The latest developments in determining actual oxygen concentrations using minute probes and molecular sensors in tissues and even within cells have provided new insights into the intracellular effects of flooding. The information amassed during recent years has been used in the breeding of new flood-tolerant crop cultivars. With the wealth of metabolic, anatomical, and genetic information, novel holistic approaches can be used to enhance crop species and their productivity under increasing stress conditions due to climate change and the subsequent changes in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt V Fagerstedt
- Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, PO Box 65, FI-00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chiara Pucciariello
- PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, Pisa 56127, Italy
| | - Ole Pedersen
- The Freshwater Biological Laboratory, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 4, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, 6009 WA, Australia
| | - Pierdomenico Perata
- PlantLab, Center of Plant Sciences, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà 33, Pisa 56127, Italy
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5
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Xu H, Wang H, Zhang Y, Yang X, Lv S, Hou D, Mo C, Wassie M, Yu B, Hu T. A synthetic light-inducible photorespiratory bypass enhances photosynthesis to improve rice growth and grain yield. PLANT COMMUNICATIONS 2023; 4:100641. [PMID: 37349987 PMCID: PMC10721467 DOI: 10.1016/j.xplc.2023.100641] [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: 04/24/2022] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Bioengineering of photorespiratory bypasses is an effective strategy for improving plant productivity by modulating photosynthesis. In previous work, two photorespiratory bypasses, the GOC and GCGT bypasses, increased photosynthetic rates but decreased seed-setting rate in rice (Oryza sativa), probably owing to excess photosynthate accumulation in the stem. To solve this bottleneck, we successfully developed a new synthetic photorespiratory bypass (called the GMA bypass) in rice chloroplasts by introducing Oryza sativa glycolate oxidase 1 (OsGLO1), Cucurbita maxima malate synthase (CmMS), and Oryza sativa ascorbate peroxidase7 (OsAPX7) into the rice genome using a high-efficiency transgene stacking system. Unlike the GOC and GCGT bypass genes driven by constitutive promoters, OsGLO1 in GMA plants was driven by a light-inducible Rubisco small subunit promoter (pRbcS); its expression dynamically changed in response to light, producing a more moderate increase in photosynthate. Photosynthetic rates were significantly increased in GMA plants, and grain yields were significantly improved under greenhouse and field conditions. Transgenic GMA rice showed no reduction in seed-setting rate under either test condition, unlike previous photorespiratory-bypass rice, probably reflecting proper modulation of the photorespiratory bypass. Together, these results imply that appropriate engineering of the GMA bypass can enhance rice growth and grain yield without affecting seed-setting rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huawei Xu
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China.
| | - Huihui Wang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Yanwen Zhang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Xiaoyi Yang
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Shufang Lv
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Dianyun Hou
- College of Agriculture, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471000, China
| | - Changru Mo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Misganaw Wassie
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Bo Yu
- Shanghai Center for Plant Stress Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Tao Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China.
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6
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Cavanagh AP, Ort DR. Transgenic strategies to improve the thermotolerance of photosynthesis. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2023; 158:109-120. [PMID: 37273092 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01024-y] [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: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Warming driven by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is irreversible over at least the next century, unless practical technologies are rapidly developed and deployed at scale to remove and sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Accepting this reality highlights the central importance for crop agriculture to develop adaptation strategies for a warmer future. While nearly all processes in plants are impacted by above optimum temperatures, the impact of heat stress on photosynthetic processes stand out for their centrality. Here, we review transgenic strategies that show promise in improving the high-temperature tolerance of specific subprocesses of photosynthesis and in some cases have already been shown in proof of concept in field experiments to protect yield from high temperature-induced losses. We also highlight other manipulations to photosynthetic processes for which full proof of concept is still lacking but we contend warrant further attention. Warming that has already occurred over the past several decades has had detrimental impacts on crop production in many parts of the world. Declining productivity presages a rapidly developing global crisis in food security particularly in low income countries. Transgenic manipulation of photosynthesis to engineer greater high-temperature resilience holds encouraging promise to help meet this challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda P Cavanagh
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Donald R Ort
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
- Departments of Plant Biology and Crop Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.
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7
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Aroca A, García-Díaz I, García-Calderón M, Gotor C, Márquez AJ, Betti M. Photorespiration: regulation and new insights on the potential role of persulfidation. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:6023-6039. [PMID: 37486799 PMCID: PMC10575701 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/26/2023]
Abstract
Photorespiration has been considered a 'futile' cycle in C3 plants, necessary to detoxify and recycle the metabolites generated by the oxygenating activity of Rubisco. However, several reports indicate that this metabolic route plays a fundamental role in plant metabolism and constitutes a very interesting research topic. Many open questions still remain with regard to photorespiration. One of these questions is how the photorespiratory process is regulated in plants and what factors contribute to this regulation. In this review, we summarize recent advances in the regulation of the photorespiratory pathway with a special focus on the transcriptional and post-translational regulation of photorespiration and the interconnections of this process with nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. Recent findings on sulfide signaling and protein persulfidation are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angeles Aroca
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Profesor García González, 1, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Inmaculada García-Díaz
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Profesor García González, 1, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Margarita García-Calderón
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Profesor García González, 1, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cecilia Gotor
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis (Universidad de Sevilla, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Américo Vespucio 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Antonio J Márquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Profesor García González, 1, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Marco Betti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Universidad de Sevilla, C/Profesor García González, 1, 41012 Sevilla, Spain
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8
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Bernacchi CJ, Ruiz-Vera UM, Siebers MH, DeLucia NJ, Ort DR. Short- and long-term warming events on photosynthetic physiology, growth, and yields of field grown crops. Biochem J 2023; 480:999-1014. [PMID: 37418286 PMCID: PMC10422931 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20220433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Global temperatures are rising from increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere associated with anthropogenic activities. Global warming includes a warmer shift in mean temperatures as well as increases in the probability of extreme heating events, termed heat waves. Despite the ability of plants to cope with temporal variations in temperature, global warming is increasingly presenting challenges to agroecosystems. The impact of warming on crop species has direct consequences on food security, therefore understanding impacts and opportunities to adapt crops to global warming necessitates experimentation that allows for modification of growth environments to represent global warming scenarios. Published studies addressing crop responses to warming are extensive, however, in-field studies where growth temperature is manipulated to mimic global warming are limited. Here, we provide an overview of in-field heating techniques employed to understand crop responses to warmer growth environments. We then focus on key results associated with season-long warming, as expected with rising global mean temperatures, and with heat waves, as a consequence of increasing temperature variability and rising global mean temperatures. We then discuss the role of rising temperatures on atmospheric water vapor pressure deficit and potential implications for crop photosynthesis and productivity. Finally, we review strategies by which crop photosynthetic processes might be optimized to adapt crops to the increasing temperatures and frequencies of heat waves. Key findings from this review are that higher temperatures consistently reduce photosynthesis and yields of crops even as atmospheric carbon dioxide increases, yet potential strategies to minimize losses from high-temperature exist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl J. Bernacchi
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | | | - Matthew H. Siebers
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Nicholas J. DeLucia
- Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, USDA-ARS, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
| | - Donald R. Ort
- Department of Plant Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
- Carl R Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, U.S.A
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9
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Niu KX, Chang CY, Zhang MQ, Guo YT, Yan Y, Sun HJ, Zhang GL, Li XM, Gong YL, Ding CH, Wang ML, Ni Z, Sun Q, Gou JY. Suppressing ASPARTIC PROTEASE 1 prolongs photosynthesis and increases wheat grain weight. NATURE PLANTS 2023; 9:965-977. [PMID: 37277438 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-023-01432-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The elongation of photosynthesis, or functional staygreen, represents a feasible strategy to propel metabolite flux towards cereal kernels. However, achieving this goal remains a challenge in food crops. Here we report the cloning of wheat CO2 assimilation and kernel enhanced 2 (cake2), the mechanism underlying the photosynthesis advantages and natural alleles amenable to breeding elite varieties. A premature stop mutation in the A-genome copy of the ASPARTIC PROTEASE 1 (APP-A1) gene increased the photosynthesis rate and yield. APP1 bound and degraded PsbO, the protective extrinsic member of photosystem II critical for increasing photosynthesis and yield. Furthermore, a natural polymorphism of the APP-A1 gene in common wheat reduced APP-A1's activity and promoted photosynthesis and grain size and weight. This work demonstrates that the modification of APP1 increases photosynthesis, grain size and yield potentials. The genetic resources could propel photosynthesis and high-yield potentials in elite varieties of tetraploid and hexaploid wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Xin Niu
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao-Yan Chang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Mei-Qi Zhang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue-Ting Guo
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Yan
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Hao-Jie Sun
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guo-Liang Zhang
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi-Lin Gong
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Ci-Hang Ding
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Meng-Lu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhongfu Ni
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qixin Sun
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Ying Gou
- MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
- Key Laboratory of Crop Heterosis and Utilization (MOE), Beijing Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.
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10
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Ishikawa K, Kobayashi M, Kusano M, Numata K, Kodama Y. Using the organelle glue technique to engineer the plant cell metabolome. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2023; 42:599-607. [PMID: 36705704 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-023-02982-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
By using the organelle glue technique, we artificially manipulated organelle interactions and controlled the plant metabolome at the pathway level. Plant cell metabolic activity changes with fluctuating environmental conditions, in part via adjustments in the arrangement and interaction of organelles. This hints at the potential for designing plants with desirable metabolic activities for food and pharmaceutical industries by artificially controlling the interaction of organelles through genetic modification. We previously developed a method called the organelle glue technique, in which chloroplast-chloroplast adhesion is induced in plant cells using the multimerization properties of split fluorescent proteins. Here, we generated transgenic Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) plants in which chloroplasts adhere to each other and performed metabolome analysis to examine the metabolic changes in these lines. In plant cells expressing a construct encoding the red fluorescent protein mCherry targeted to the chloroplast outer envelope by fusion with a signal sequence (cTP-mCherry), chloroplasts adhered to each other and formed chloroplast aggregations. Mitochondria and peroxisomes were embedded in the aggregates, suggesting that normal interactions between chloroplasts and these organelles were also affected. Metabolome analysis of the cTP-mCherry-expressing Arabidopsis shoots revealed significantly higher levels of glycine, serine, and glycerate compared to control plants. Notably, these are photorespiratory metabolites that are normally transported between chloroplasts, mitochondria, and peroxisomes. Together, our data indicate that chloroplast-chloroplast adhesion alters organellar interactions with mitochondria and peroxisomes and disrupts photorespiratory metabolite transport. These results highlight the possibility of controlling plant metabolism at the pathway level by manipulating organelle interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kazuya Ishikawa
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan
| | - Makoto Kobayashi
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Miyako Kusano
- RIKEN Center for Sustainable Resource Science, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Tsukuba-Plant Innovation Research Center, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Keiji Numata
- Department of Material Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan
| | - Yutaka Kodama
- Center for Bioscience Research and Education, Utsunomiya University, Utsunomiya, Tochigi, Japan.
- Biomacromolecules Research Team, Center for Sustainable Resource Science, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan.
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11
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Cavanagh AP, Slattery R, Kubien DS. Temperature-induced changes in Arabidopsis Rubisco activity and isoform expression. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2023; 74:651-663. [PMID: 36124740 PMCID: PMC9833042 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erac379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In many plant species, expression of the nuclear encoded Rubisco small subunit (SSu) varies with environmental changes, but the functional role of any changes in expression remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the impact of differential expression of Rubisco SSu isoforms on carbon assimilation in Arabidopsis. Using plants grown at contrasting temperatures (10 °C and 30 °C), we confirm the previously reported temperature response of the four RbcS genes and extend this to protein expression, finding that warm-grown plants produce Rubisco containing ~65% SSu-B and cold-grown plants produce Rubisco with ~65% SSu-A as a proportion of the total pool of subunits. We find that these changes in isoform concentration are associated with kinetic changes to Rubisco in vitro: warm-grown plants produce a Rubisco having greater CO2 affinity (i.e. higher SC/O and lower KC) but lower kcatCO2 at warm measurement temperatures. Although warm-grown plants produce 38% less Rubisco than cold-grown plants on a leaf area basis, warm-grown plants can maintain similar rates of photosynthesis to cold-grown plants at ambient CO2 and 30 °C, indicating that the carboxylation capacity of warm-grown Rubisco is enhanced at warmer measurement temperatures, and is able to compensate for the lower Rubisco content in warm-grown plants. This association between SSu isoform expression and maintenance of Rubisco activity at high temperature suggests that SSu isoform expression could impact the temperature response of C3 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rebecca Slattery
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - David S Kubien
- Department of Biology, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB, E3B 5A3, Canada
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12
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Eckardt NA, Ainsworth EA, Bahuguna RN, Broadley MR, Busch W, Carpita NC, Castrillo G, Chory J, DeHaan LR, Duarte CM, Henry A, Jagadish SVK, Langdale JA, Leakey ADB, Liao JC, Lu KJ, McCann MC, McKay JK, Odeny DA, Jorge de Oliveira E, Platten JD, Rabbi I, Rim EY, Ronald PC, Salt DE, Shigenaga AM, Wang E, Wolfe M, Zhang X. Climate change challenges, plant science solutions. THE PLANT CELL 2023; 35:24-66. [PMID: 36222573 PMCID: PMC9806663 DOI: 10.1093/plcell/koac303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 42.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is a defining challenge of the 21st century, and this decade is a critical time for action to mitigate the worst effects on human populations and ecosystems. Plant science can play an important role in developing crops with enhanced resilience to harsh conditions (e.g. heat, drought, salt stress, flooding, disease outbreaks) and engineering efficient carbon-capturing and carbon-sequestering plants. Here, we present examples of research being conducted in these areas and discuss challenges and open questions as a call to action for the plant science community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy A Eckardt
- Senior Features Editor, The Plant Cell, American Society of Plant Biologists, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Ainsworth
- USDA ARS Global Change and Photosynthesis Research Unit, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Rajeev N Bahuguna
- Centre for Advanced Studies on Climate Change, Dr Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Samastipur 848125, Bihar, India
| | - Martin R Broadley
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Rothamsted Research, West Common, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK
| | - Wolfgang Busch
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Nicholas C Carpita
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
| | - Gabriel Castrillo
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Joanne Chory
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | | | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Center (RSRC) and Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia
| | - Amelia Henry
- International Rice Research Institute, Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - S V Krishna Jagadish
- Department of Plant and Soil Science, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79410, USA
| | - Jane A Langdale
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK
| | - Andrew D B Leakey
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Crop Sciences, and Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - James C Liao
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11528, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Jen Lu
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11528, Taiwan
| | - Maureen C McCann
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA
| | - John K McKay
- Department of Agricultural Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, USA
| | - Damaris A Odeny
- The International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics–Eastern and Southern Africa, Gigiri 39063-00623, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - J Damien Platten
- International Rice Research Institute, Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, Los Baños, Laguna 4031, Philippines
| | - Ismail Rabbi
- International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), PMB 5320 Ibadan, Oyo, Nigeria
| | - Ellen Youngsoo Rim
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Pamela C Ronald
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
- Innovative Genomics Institute, Berkeley, California 94704, USA
| | - David E Salt
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
- Future Food Beacon of Excellence, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Alexandra M Shigenaga
- Department of Plant Pathology and the Genome Center, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA
| | - Ertao Wang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
| | - Marnin Wolfe
- Auburn University, Dept. of Crop Soil and Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Xiaowei Zhang
- National Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Genetics, Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200032, China
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13
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Rosado-Souza L, Yokoyama R, Sonnewald U, Fernie AR. Understanding source-sink interactions: Progress in model plants and translational research to crops. MOLECULAR PLANT 2023; 16:96-121. [PMID: 36447435 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture is facing a massive increase in demand per hectare as a result of an ever-expanding population and environmental deterioration. While we have learned much about how environmental conditions and diseases impact crop yield, until recently considerably less was known concerning endogenous factors, including within-plant nutrient allocation. In this review, we discuss studies of source-sink interactions covering both fundamental research in model systems under controlled growth conditions and how the findings are being translated to crop plants in the field. In this respect we detail efforts aimed at improving and/or combining C3, C4, and CAM modes of photosynthesis, altering the chloroplastic electron transport chain, modulating photorespiration, adopting bacterial/algal carbon-concentrating mechanisms, and enhancing nitrogen- and water-use efficiencies. Moreover, we discuss how modulating TCA cycle activities and primary metabolism can result in increased rates of photosynthesis and outline the opportunities that evaluating natural variation in photosynthesis may afford. Although source, transport, and sink functions are all covered in this review, we focus on discussing source functions because the majority of research has been conducted in this field. Nevertheless, considerable recent evidence, alongside the evidence from classical studies, demonstrates that both transport and sink functions are also incredibly important determinants of yield. We thus describe recent evidence supporting this notion and suggest that future strategies for yield improvement should focus on combining improvements in each of these steps to approach yield optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laise Rosado-Souza
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
| | - Ryo Yokoyama
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Uwe Sonnewald
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Staudtstrasse 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
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14
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Hoffman NE. USDA's revised biotechnology regulation's contribution to increasing agricultural sustainability and responding to climate change. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1055529. [PMID: 36507369 PMCID: PMC9726801 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1055529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biotechnology can provide a valuable tool to meet UN Sustainable Development Goals and U.S. initiatives to find climate solutions and improve agricultural sustainability. The literature contains hundreds of examples of crops that may serve this purpose, yet most remain un-launched due to high regulatory barriers. Recently the USDA revised its biotechnology regulations to make them more risk-proportionate, science-based, and streamlined. Here, we review some of the promising leads that may enable agriculture to contribute to UN sustainability goals. We further describe and discuss how the revised biotechnology regulation would hypothetically apply to these cases.
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15
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Zannini E, Sahin AW, Arendt EK. Resistant Protein: Forms and Functions. Foods 2022; 11:2759. [PMID: 36140887 PMCID: PMC9498059 DOI: 10.3390/foods11182759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Several global health risks are related to our dietary lifestyle. As a consequence of the overconsumption of ultra-processed and highly digestible protein (150-200% of the recommended value), excess dietary proteins reach the colon, are hydrolysed to peptides and amino acids by bacterial proteases and fermented to various potentially toxic end products. A diet reformulation strategy with reduced protein content in food products appears to be the most effective approach. A potential approach to this challenge is to reduce food digestibility by introducing resistant protein into the diet that could positively influence human health and gut microbiome functionality. Resistant protein is a dietary constituent not hydrolysed by digestive enzymes or absorbed in the human small intestine. The chemical conformation and the amino acid composition strictly influence its structural stability and resistance to in vivo proteolysis and denaturation. Responding to the important gap in our knowledge regarding the digestibility performance of alternative proteins, we hypothesise that resistant proteins can beneficially alter food functionality via their role in improving metabolic properties and health benefits in human nutrition, similar to fibres and resistant starches. A multidisciplinary investigation of resistant protein will generate tremendous scientific impact for other interlinked societal, economic, technological and health and wellbeing aspects of human life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuele Zannini
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, College Road, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
| | - Aylin W. Sahin
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, College Road, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
| | - Elke K. Arendt
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University College Cork, College Road, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
- APC Microbiome Institute, T12 K8AF Cork, Ireland
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16
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Hanson AD, Zhao Y. Plant Physiology Synthetic Biology initiative. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 190:180-181. [PMID: 35736505 PMCID: PMC9434282 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Hanson
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA
| | - Yunde Zhao
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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17
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Wang Q, Yang H, Cao P, Chen F, Zhao L. Biosynthetic approaches to efficient assimilation of CO2via photorespiration modification in plant chassis. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2022; 10:979627. [PMID: 36003537 PMCID: PMC9393500 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.979627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant chassis has emerged as the platform with great potential for bioproduction of high value-added products such as recombinant protein, vaccine and natural product. However, as the primary metabolic pathway, photorespiration results in the loss of photosynthetically fixed carbon compounds and limits the exploration of plant chassis. People are endeavored to reduce the photorespiration energy or carbon loss based on variation screening or genetic engineering. Insomuch as protein engineering of Rubisco has not resulted in the significant improvement of Rubisco specificity which is linked to the direct CO2 fixation, the biosynthetic approaches of photorespiration bypass are gaining much more attention and manifested great potentiality in conferring efficient assimilation of CO2 in plant chassis. In this review, we summarize the recent studies on the metabolic pathway design and implementation of photorespiration alternative pathway aiming to provide clues to efficiently enhance carbon fixation via the modification of photorespiration in plant chassis for bioproduction. These will benefit the development of plant synthetic metabolism for biorefineries via improvement of artificial carbon sequestration cycle, particularly for the mitigation of serious challenges such as extreme climate change, food and energy shortages in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Hao Yang
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- College of Biotechnology, Tianjin University of Science and Technology, Tianjin, China
| | - Peijian Cao
- China Tobacco Gene Research Center, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute of CNTC, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Fangjian Chen
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
| | - Lei Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Systems Microbial Biotechnology, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
- National Center of Technology Innovation for Synthetic Biology, Tianjin, China
- *Correspondence: Lei Zhao,
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18
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Abstract
Multiple proof-of-principle experiments and successful field trials have demonstrated that engineering photosynthesis is a viable strategy for improving crop yields. Advances to engineering technologies have accelerated efforts to improve photosynthesis, generating a large volume of published literature: this Review therefore aims to highlight the most promising results from the period February 2021 to January 2022. Recent research has demonstrated the importance of understanding the impact of changing climates on photosynthesis to ensure that proposed engineering strategies are resilient to climate change. Encouragingly, there have been several reports of strategies that have benefits at temperatures higher than current ambient conditions. There has also been success in engineering synthetic bypass pathways, providing support for the feasibility of a synthetic biology approach. Continued developments in all areas of engineering photosynthesis will be necessary for sustainably securing sufficient crop yields for the future. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie L. Johnson
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford,Oxford, OX1 3RB,UK
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19
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Marino D, Cañas RA, Betti M. Is plastidic glutamine synthetase essential for C 3 plants? A tale of photorespiratory mutants, ammonium tolerance and conifers. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 234:1559-1565. [PMID: 35279841 PMCID: PMC9314894 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
Agriculture faces the considerable challenge of having to adapt to a progressively changing climate (including the increase in CO2 levels and temperatures); environmental impact must be reduced while at the same time crop yields need to be maintained or increased to ensure food security. Under this scenario, increasing plants' nitrogen (N) use efficiency and minimizing the energy losses associated with photorespiration are two goals of crop breeding that are long sought after. The plastidic glutamine synthetase (GS2) enzyme stands at the crossroads of N assimilation and photorespiration, and is therefore a key candidate for the improvement of crop performance. The GS2 enzyme has long been considered essential for angiosperm survival under photorespiratory conditions. Surprisingly, in Arabidopsis GS2 is not essential for plant survival, and its absence confers tolerance towards ammonium stress, which is in conflict with the idea that NH4+ accumulation is one of the main causes of ammonium stress. Altogether, it appears that the 'textbook' view of this enzyme must be revisited, especially regarding the degree to which it is essential for plant growth under photorespiratory conditions, and the role of NH4+ assimilation during ammonium stress. In this article we open the debate on whether more or less GS2 is a desirable trait for plant productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Marino
- Department of Plant Biology and EcologyUniversity of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)E‐48940LeioaSpain
- IkerbasqueBasque Foundation for ScienceE‐48011BilbaoSpain
| | - Rafael A. Cañas
- Integrative Molecular Biology LabUniversidad de MálagaCampus Universitario de Teatinos29071MálagaSpain
| | - Marco Betti
- Departamento de Bioquímica Vegetal y Biología Molecular, Facultad de QuímicaUniversidad de Sevilla41012SevillaSpain
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