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Ouyang W, Wientjes E, van der Putten PEL, Caracciolo L, Zhao R, Agho C, Chiurazzi MJ, Bongers M, Struik PC, van Amerongen H, Yin X. Roles for leakiness and O 2 evolution in explaining lower-than-theoretical quantum yields of photosynthesis in the PEP-CK subtype of C 4 plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2024; 242:431-443. [PMID: 38406986 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19614] [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: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Theoretically, the PEP-CK C4 subtype has a higher quantum yield of CO2 assimilation (Φ CO 2 ) than NADP-ME or NAD-ME subtypes because ATP required for operating the CO2-concentrating mechanism is believed to mostly come from the mitochondrial electron transport chain (mETC). However, reportedΦ CO 2 is not higher in PEP-CK than in the other subtypes. We hypothesise, more photorespiration, associated with higher leakiness and O2 evolution in bundle-sheath (BS) cells, cancels out energetic advantages in PEP-CK species. Nine species (two to four species per subtype) were evaluated by gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and two-photon microscopy to estimate the BS conductance (gbs) and leakiness using a biochemical model. Average gbs estimates were 2.9, 4.8, and 5.0 mmol m-2 s-1 bar-1, and leakiness values were 0.129, 0.179, and 0.180, in NADP-ME, NAD-ME, and PEP-CK species, respectively. The BS CO2 level was somewhat higher, O2 level was marginally lower, and thus, photorespiratory loss was slightly lower, in NADP-ME than in NAD-ME and PEP-CK species. Differences in these parameters existed among species within a subtype, and gbs was co-determined by biochemical decarboxylating sites and anatomical characteristics. Our hypothesis and results partially explain variations in observedΦ CO 2 , but suggest that PEP-CK species probably use less ATP from mETC than classically defined PEP-CK mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjing Ouyang
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China
| | - Emilie Wientjes
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 8128, 6700 ET, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter E L van der Putten
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ludovico Caracciolo
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 8128, 6700 ET, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ruixuan Zhao
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- School of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650504, Yunnan, China
| | - Collins Agho
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Maurizio Junior Chiurazzi
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Marius Bongers
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Paul C Struik
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Herbert van Amerongen
- Laboratory of Biophysics, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 8128, 6700 ET, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Xinyou Yin
- Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 430, 6700 AK, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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Li R, Gao X, Wu Y, Wei C, Li MH, Liu DK, Liu ZJ. Identification and Analysis of PEPC Gene Family Reveals Functional Diversification in Orchidaceae and the Regulation of Bacterial-Type PEPC. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2055. [PMID: 38396732 PMCID: PMC10888551 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) gene family plays a crucial role in both plant growth and response to abiotic stress. Approximately half of the Orchidaceae species are estimated to perform CAM pathway, and the availability of sequenced orchid genomes makes them ideal subjects for investigating the PEPC gene family in CAM plants. In this study, a total of 33 PEPC genes were identified across 15 orchids. Specifically, one PEPC gene was found in Cymbidium goeringii and Platanthera guangdongensis; two in Apostasia shenzhenica, Dendrobium chrysotoxum, D. huoshanense, Gastrodia elata, G. menghaiensis, Phalaenopsis aphrodite, Ph. equestris, and Pl. zijinensis; three in C. ensifolium, C. sinense, D. catenatum, D. nobile, and Vanilla planifolia. These PEPC genes were categorized into four subgroups, namely PEPC-i, PEPC-ii, and PEPC-iii (PTPC), and PEPC-iv (BTPC), supported by the comprehensive analyses of their physicochemical properties, motif, and gene structures. Remarkably, PEPC-iv contained a heretofore unreported orchid PEPC gene, identified as VpPEPC4. Differences in the number of PEPC homolog genes among these species were attributed to segmental duplication, whole-genome duplication (WGD), or gene loss events. Cis-elements identified in promoter regions were predominantly associated with light responsiveness, and circadian-related elements were observed in each PEPC-i and PEPC-ii gene. The expression levels of recruited BTPC, VpPEPC4, exhibited a lower expression level than other VpPEPCs in the tested tissues. The expression analyses and RT-qPCR results revealed diverse expression patterns in orchid PEPC genes. Duplicated genes exhibited distinct expression patterns, suggesting functional divergence. This study offered a comprehensive analysis to unveil the evolution and function of PEPC genes in Orchidaceae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruyi Li
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
| | - Xuyong Gao
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
| | - Yuwei Wu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
| | - Chunyi Wei
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
| | - Ming-He Li
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
- Fujian Colleges and Universities Engineering Research Institute of Conservation and Utilization of Natural Bioresources, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Ding-Kun Liu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
- Fujian Colleges and Universities Engineering Research Institute of Conservation and Utilization of Natural Bioresources, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - Zhong-Jian Liu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration for Orchid Conservation and Utilization at Landscape Architecture and Arts, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China; (R.L.); (X.G.); (Y.W.); (C.W.); (M.-H.L.)
- Fujian Colleges and Universities Engineering Research Institute of Conservation and Utilization of Natural Bioresources, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
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Ubierna N, Holloway-Phillips MM, Wingate L, Ogée J, Busch FA, Farquhar GD. Using Carbon Stable Isotopes to Study C 3 and C 4 Photosynthesis: Models and Calculations. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2790:163-211. [PMID: 38649572 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3790-6_10] [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] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Stable carbon isotopes are a powerful tool to study photosynthesis. Initial applications consisted of determining isotope ratios of plant biomass using mass spectrometry. Subsequently, theoretical models relating C isotope values to gas exchange characteristics were introduced and tested against instantaneous online measurements of 13C photosynthetic discrimination. Beginning in the twenty-first century, laser absorption spectroscopes with sufficient precision for determining isotope mixing ratios became commercially available. This has allowed collection of large data sets at lower cost and with unprecedented temporal resolution. More data and accompanying knowledge have permitted refinement of 13C discrimination model equations, but often at the expense of increased model complexity and difficult parametrization. This chapter describes instantaneous online measurements of 13C photosynthetic discrimination, provides recommendations for experimental setup, and presents a thorough compilation of equations available to researchers. We update our previous 2018 version of this chapter by including recently improved descriptions of (photo)respiratory processes and associated fractionations. We discuss the capabilities and limitations of the diverse 13C discrimination model equations and provide guidance for selecting the model complexity needed for different applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerea Ubierna
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)1391 ISPA, Villenave D'Ornon, France
| | - Meisha-Marika Holloway-Phillips
- Research Unit of Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmendsorf, Switzerland
| | - Lisa Wingate
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)1391 ISPA, Villenave D'Ornon, France
| | - Jérôme Ogée
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (INRAE), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR)1391 ISPA, Villenave D'Ornon, France
| | - Florian A Busch
- School of Biosciences and The Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Graham D Farquhar
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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DiMario RJ, Kophs AN, Apalla AJA, Schnable JN, Cousins AB. Multiple highly expressed phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase genes have divergent enzyme kinetic properties in two C4 grasses. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:413-428. [PMID: 37675505 PMCID: PMC10667006 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad116] [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: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (PEPC) catalyses the irreversible carboxylation of PEP with bicarbonate to produce oxaloacetate. This reaction powers the carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in plants that perform C4 photosynthesis. This CCM is generally driven by a single PEPC gene product that is highly expressed in the cytosol of mesophyll cells. We found two C4 grasses, Panicum miliaceum and Echinochloa colona, that each have two highly expressed PEPC genes. We characterized the kinetic properties of the two most abundant PEPCs in E. colona and P. miliaceum to better understand how the enzyme's amino acid structure influences its function. METHODS Coding sequences of the two most abundant PEPC proteins in E. colona and P. miliaceum were synthesized by GenScript and were inserted into bacteria expression plasmids. Point mutations resulting in substitutions at conserved amino acid residues (e.g. N-terminal serine and residue 890) were created via site-directed PCR mutagenesis. The kinetic properties of semi-purified plant PEPCs from Escherichia coli were analysed using membrane-inlet mass spectrometry and a spectrophotometric enzyme-coupled reaction. KEY RESULTS The two most abundant P. miliaceum PEPCs (PmPPC1 and PmPPC2) have similar sequence identities (>95 %), and as a result had similar kinetic properties. The two most abundant E. colona PEPCs (EcPPC1 and EcPPC2) had identities of ~78 % and had significantly different kinetic properties. The PmPPCs and EcPPCs had different responses to allosteric inhibitors and activators, and substitutions at the conserved N-terminal serine and residue 890 resulted in significantly altered responses to allosteric regulators. CONCLUSIONS The two, significantly expressed C4Ppc genes in P. miliaceum were probably the result of genomes combining from two closely related C4Panicum species. We found natural variation in PEPC's sensitivity to allosteric inhibition that seems to bypass the conserved 890 residue, suggesting alternative evolutionary pathways for increased malate tolerance and other kinetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J DiMario
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Ashley N Kophs
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - Anthony J A Apalla
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
| | - James N Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA
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Ermakova M, Woodford R, Taylor Z, Furbank RT, Belide S, von Caemmerer S. Faster induction of photosynthesis increases biomass and grain yield in glasshouse-grown transgenic Sorghum bicolor overexpressing Rieske FeS. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:1206-1216. [PMID: 36789455 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Sorghum is one of the most important crops providing food and feed in many of the world's harsher environments. Sorghum utilizes the C4 pathway of photosynthesis in which a biochemical carbon-concentrating mechanism results in high CO2 assimilation rates. Overexpressing the Rieske FeS subunit of the Cytochrome b6 f complex was previously shown to increase the rate of photosynthetic electron transport and stimulate CO2 assimilation in the model C4 plant Setaria viridis. To test whether productivity of C4 crops could be improved by Rieske overexpression, we created transgenic Sorghum bicolor Tx430 plants with increased Rieske content. The transgenic plants showed no marked changes in abundances of other photosynthetic proteins or chlorophyll content. The steady-state rates of electron transport and CO2 assimilation did not differ between the plants with increased Rieske abundance and control plants, suggesting that Cytochrome b6 f is not the only factor limiting electron transport in sorghum at high light and high CO2 . However, faster responses of non-photochemical quenching as well as an elevated quantum yield of Photosystem II and an increased CO2 assimilation rate were observed from the plants overexpressing Rieske during the photosynthetic induction, a process of activation of photosynthesis upon the dark-light transition. As a consequence, sorghum with increased Rieske content produced more biomass and grain when grown in glasshouse conditions. Our results indicate that increasing Rieske content has potential to boost productivity of sorghum and other C4 crops by improving the efficiency of light utilization and conversion to biomass through the faster induction of photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ermakova
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic, Australia
| | - Russell Woodford
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Zachary Taylor
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam, Brandenburg, Germany
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | | | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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Sarkar B, Das A, Pal S, Kundu A, Hasanuzzaman M, Fujita M, Adak MK. Regulation of NADP-Malic Enzyme Activity in Maize ( Zea mays L.) under Salinity with Reference to Light and Darkness. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:plants12091836. [PMID: 37176895 PMCID: PMC10181391 DOI: 10.3390/plants12091836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
We revealed the functional characterization of C4-NADP-malic enzyme (NADP-ME), extracted and partially purified from maize (Zea mays L. cv. Kaveri 50). The leaf discs were previously activated under 1000-1200 µE m-2 s-1, incubated in bicarbonate (2.0 mM) solution, and subjected to salt stress (100 mM NaCl). Initially, salt stress was evident from the accumulations of proline, chlorophyll content, carbohydrate profile, and Hill activity influencing the C4 enzyme. Primarily, in illuminated tissues, the activity of the enzyme recorded a reduced trend through salinity irrespective of light and darkness compared to the control. On illumination, the kinetic parameters such as Vmax of the enzyme increased by 1.36-fold compared to in the dark under salinity whereas Km was decreased by 20% under the same condition. The extent of light induction was proportionate to limiting (0.01 mM) and saturated (4.0 mM) malate concentrations for enzyme activity. Moreover, the catalytic properties of the enzyme were also tested on concomitant responses to activator (citrate and succinate) and inhibitor (oxalate and pyruvate) residues. The sensitivity to light and dark effects was also tested for reducing agents such as dithiothreitol, suggesting the effect of the changes in redox on the regulatory properties of the enzyme. The ratio of enzyme activity under light and darkness in the presence or absence of a reducing agent was concomitantly increased with varying malate concentrations. At the molecular level, protein polymorphism of the enzyme represented minor variations in band intensities, however, not in numbers through salinity subjected to light and darkness. Therefore, salinity-induced changes in the decarboxylation reaction, evident by NADP-ME activity, may be based on the redox property of regulatory sites and sensitivity to light and darkness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bipul Sarkar
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India
| | - Abir Das
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India
| | - Sayan Pal
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India
| | - Ankita Kundu
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India
| | - Mirza Hasanuzzaman
- Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
| | - Masayuki Fujita
- Laboratory of Plant Stress Responses, Faculty of Agriculture, Kagawa University, Kita-Gun, Kagawa, Miki-cho 761-0795, Japan
| | - Malay Kumar Adak
- Plant Physiology and Molecular Biology Research Unit, Department of Botany, University of Kalyani, Kalyani 741235, West Bengal, India
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Zhou H, Akçay E, Helliker B. Optimal coordination and reorganization of photosynthetic properties in C 4 grasses. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 46:796-811. [PMID: 36478594 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14506] [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: 09/22/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Each of >20 independent evolutions of C4 photosynthesis in grasses required reorganization of the Calvin-Benson-cycle (CB-cycle) within the leaf, along with coordination of C4 -cycle enzymes with the CB-cycle to maximize CO2 assimilation. Considering the vast amount of time over which C4 evolved, we hypothesized (i) trait divergences exist within and across lineages with both C4 and closely related C3 grasses, (ii) trends in traits after C4 evolution yield the optimization of C4 through time, and (iii) the presence/absence of trends in coordination between the CB-cycle and C4 -cycle provides information on the strength of selection. To address these hypotheses, we used a combination of optimality modelling, physiological measurements and phylogenetic-comparative-analysis. Photosynthesis was optimized after the evolution of C4 causing diversification in maximal assimilation, electron transport, Rubisco carboxylation, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and chlorophyll within C4 lineages. Both theory and measurements indicated a higher light-reaction to CB-cycle ratio (Jatpmax /Vcmax ) in C4 than C3 . There were no evolutionary trends with photosynthetic coordination between the CB-cycle, light reactions and the C4 -cycle, suggesting strong initial selection for coordination. The coordination of CB-C4 -cycles (Vpmax /Vcmax ) was optimal for CO2 of 200 ppm, not to current conditions. Our model indicated that a higher than optimal Vpmax /Vcmax affects assimilation minimally, thus lessening recent selection to decrease Vpmax /Vcmax .
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoran Zhou
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Erol Akçay
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brent Helliker
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Chen S, Peng W, Ansah EO, Xiong F, Wu Y. Encoded C 4 homologue enzymes genes function under abiotic stresses in C3 plant. PLANT SIGNALING & BEHAVIOR 2022; 17:2115634. [PMID: 36102341 PMCID: PMC9481101 DOI: 10.1080/15592324.2022.2115634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant organisms assimilate CO2 through the photosynthetic pathway, which facilitates in the synthesis of sugar for plant development. As environmental elements including water level, CO2 concentration, temperature and soil characteristics change, the plants may recruit series of genes to help adapt the hostile environments and challenges. C4 photosynthesis plants are an excellent example of plant evolutionary adaptation to diverse condition. Compared with C3 photosynthesis plants, C4 photosynthesis plants have altered leaf anatomy and new metabolism for CO2 capture, with multiple related enzymes such as phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPCase), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), NAD(P)-malic enzyme (NAD(P)-ME), NAD(P) - malate dehydrogenase (NAD(P)-MDH) and carbonic anhydrases (CA), identified to participate in the carbon concentrating mechanism (CCM) pathway. Recently, great achievements about C4 CCM-related genes have been made in the dissection of C3 plant development processes involving various stresses. In this review, we describe the functions of C4 CCM-related homologous genes in carbon and nitrogen metabolism in C3 plants. We further summarize C4 CCM-related homologous genes' functions in response to stresses in C3 plants. The understanding of C4 CCM-related genes' function in response to abiotic stress in plant is important to modify the crop plants for climate diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simin Chen
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Wangmenghan Peng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Ebenezer Ottopah Ansah
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Fei Xiong
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Yunfei Wu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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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: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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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Aspinwall MJ, Chieppa J, Gray E, Golden-Ebanks M, Davidson L. Warming impacts on photosynthetic processes in dominant plant species in a subtropical forest. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2022; 174:e13654. [PMID: 35233781 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming could shift some subtropical regions to a tropical climate in the next 30 years. Yet, climate warming impacts on subtropical species and ecosystems remain unclear. We conducted a passive warming experiment in a subtropical forest in Florida, USA, to determine warming impacts on four species differing in their climatic distribution, growth form, and functional type: Serenoa repens (palm), Andropogon glomeratus (C4 grass), Pinus palustris (needled evergreen tree), and Quercus laevis (broadleaved deciduous tree). We hypothesized that warming would have neutral-positive effects on photosynthetic processes in monocot species with warmer climatic distributions or adaptations to warmer temperatures, but negative effects on photosynthesis in tree species. We also hypothesized that periods of low soil moisture would alter photosynthetic responses to warming. In both monocot species, warming had no significant effect on net photosynthesis (A) or stomatal conductance (gs ) measured at prevailing temperatures, or photosynthetic capacity measured at a common temperature. In P. palustris, warming reduced A (-15%) and gs (-28%), and caused small reductions in Rubisco carboxylation and RuBP regeneration. Warming had little effect on photosynthetic processes in Q. laevis. Interestingly, A. glomeratus showed little sensitivity to reduced soil moisture, and all C3 species reduced A and gs as soil moisture declined and did so consistently across temperature treatments. In subtropical forests of the southeastern US, we conclude that climate warming may have neutral or slightly positive effects on the performance of grasses and broadleaved species but negative effects on P. palustris seedlings, foreshadowing possible changes in community and ecosystem properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Aspinwall
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Jeff Chieppa
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
- School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
| | - Eve Gray
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
| | | | - Lynsae Davidson
- Department of Biology, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA
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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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von Caemmerer S. Updating the steady-state model of C4 photosynthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021. [PMID: 34173821 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.zcrjdfnc3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
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
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13
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Yin X, Busch FA, Struik PC, Sharkey TD. Evolution of a biochemical model of steady-state photosynthesis. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2021; 44:2811-2837. [PMID: 33872407 PMCID: PMC8453732 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the publication of the landmark model by Farquhar, von Caemmerer & Berry on steady-state C3 photosynthesis (known as the "FvCB model"), we review three major further developments of the model. These include: (1) limitation by triose phosphate utilization, (2) alternative electron transport pathways, and (3) photorespiration-associated nitrogen and C1 metabolisms. We discussed the relation of the third extension with the two other extensions, and some equivalent extensions to model C4 photosynthesis. In addition, the FvCB model has been coupled with CO2 -diffusion models. We review how these extensions and integration have broadened the use of the FvCB model in understanding photosynthesis, especially with regard to bioenergetic stoichiometries associated with photosynthetic quantum yields. Based on the new insights, we present caveats in applying the FvCB model. Further research needs are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyou Yin
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Florian A. Busch
- School of Biosciences and Birmingham Institute of Forest ResearchUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Paul C. Struik
- Centre for Crop Systems AnalysisWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Thomas D. Sharkey
- MSU‐DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Plant Resilience InstituteMichigan State UniversityEast LansingMichiganUSA
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14
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DiMario RJ, Kophs AN, Pathare VS, Schnable JC, Cousins AB. Kinetic variation in grass phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylases provides opportunity to enhance C 4 photosynthetic efficiency. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2021; 105:1677-1688. [PMID: 33345397 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15141] [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: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The high rates of photosynthesis and the carbon-concentrating mechanism (CCM) in C4 plants are initiated by the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase (PEPC). The flow of inorganic carbon into the CCM of C4 plants is driven by PEPC's affinity for bicarbonate (KHCO3 ), which can be rate limiting when atmospheric CO2 availability is restricted due to low stomatal conductance. We hypothesize that natural variation in KHCO3 across C4 plants is driven by specific amino acid substitutions to impact rates of C4 photosynthesis under environments such as drought that restrict stomatal conductance. To test this hypothesis, we measured KHCO3 from 20 C4 grasses to compare kinetic properties with specific amino acid substitutions. There was nearly a twofold range in KHCO3 across these C4 grasses (24.3 ± 1.5 to 46.3 ± 2.4 μm), which significantly impacts modeled rates of C4 photosynthesis. Additionally, molecular engineering of a low-HCO3- affinity PEPC identified key domains that confer variation in KHCO3 . This study advances our understanding of PEPC kinetics and builds the foundation for engineering increased-HCO3- affinity and C4 photosynthetic efficiency in important C4 crops.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J DiMario
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Ashley N Kophs
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - Varsha S Pathare
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
| | - James C Schnable
- Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, 68583, USA
| | - Asaph B Cousins
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164, USA
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15
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Danila FR, Thakur V, Chatterjee J, Bala S, Coe RA, Acebron K, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer S, Quick WP. Bundle sheath suberisation is required for C 4 photosynthesis in a Setaria viridis mutant. Commun Biol 2021; 4:254. [PMID: 33637850 PMCID: PMC7910553 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-01772-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis provides an effective solution for overcoming the catalytic inefficiency of Rubisco. The pathway is characterised by a biochemical CO2 concentrating mechanism that operates across mesophyll and bundle sheath (BS) cells and relies on a gas tight BS compartment. A screen of a mutant population of Setaria viridis, an NADP-malic enzyme type C4 monocot, generated using N-nitroso-N-methylurea identified a mutant with an amino acid change in the gene coding region of the ABCG transporter, a step in the suberin synthesis pathway. Here, Nile red staining, TEM, and GC/MS confirmed the alteration in suberin deposition in the BS cell wall of the mutant. We show that this has disrupted the suberin lamellae of BS cell wall and increased BS conductance to CO2 diffusion more than two-fold in the mutant. Consequently, BS CO2 partial pressure is reduced and CO2 assimilation was impaired in the mutant. Our findings provide experimental evidence that a functional suberin lamellae is an essential anatomical feature for efficient C4 photosynthesis in NADP-ME plants like S. viridis and have implications for engineering strategies to ensure future food security.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence R Danila
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Vivek Thakur
- Department of Systems and Computational Biology, School of Life Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Jolly Chatterjee
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Soumi Bala
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - Robert A Coe
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Kelvin Acebron
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
| | - Robert T Furbank
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
| | - 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, Australia
| | - William Paul Quick
- International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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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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von Caemmerer S. Rubisco carboxylase/oxygenase: From the enzyme to the globe: A gas exchange perspective. JOURNAL OF PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 252:153240. [PMID: 32707452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jplph.2020.153240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Rubisco is the primary carboxylase of the photosynthetic process, the most abundant enzyme in the biosphere, and also one of the best-characterized enzymes. Rubisco also functions as an oxygenase, a discovery made 50 years ago by Bill Ogren. Carboxylation of ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) is the first step of the photosynthetic carbon reduction cycle and leads to the assimilation of CO2, whereas the oxygenase activity necessitates the recycling of phosphoglycolate through the photorespiratory carbon oxidation cycle with concomitant loss of CO2. Since the discovery of Rubisco's dual function, the biochemical properties of Rubisco have underpinned the mechanistic mathematical models of photosynthetic CO2 fixation which link Rubisco kinetic properties to gas exchange of leaves. This has allowed assessments of global CO2 exchange and predictions of how Rubisco has and will shape the environmental responses of crop and global photosynthesis in future climates. Rubisco's biochemical properties, including its slow catalytic turnover and poor affinity for CO2, constrain crop growth and therefore improving its activity and regulation and minimising photorespiration are key targets for crop improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne von Caemmerer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia.
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18
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Cesarino I, Dello Ioio R, Kirschner GK, Ogden MS, Picard KL, Rast-Somssich MI, Somssich M. Plant science's next top models. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2020; 126:1-23. [PMID: 32271862 PMCID: PMC7304477 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Model organisms are at the core of life science research. Notable examples include the mouse as a model for humans, baker's yeast for eukaryotic unicellular life and simple genetics, or the enterobacteria phage λ in virology. Plant research was an exception to this rule, with researchers relying on a variety of non-model plants until the eventual adoption of Arabidopsis thaliana as primary plant model in the 1980s. This proved to be an unprecedented success, and several secondary plant models have since been established. Currently, we are experiencing another wave of expansion in the set of plant models. SCOPE Since the 2000s, new model plants have been established to study numerous aspects of plant biology, such as the evolution of land plants, grasses, invasive and parasitic plant life, adaptation to environmental challenges, and the development of morphological diversity. Concurrent with the establishment of new plant models, the advent of the 'omics' era in biology has led to a resurgence of the more complex non-model plants. With this review, we introduce some of the new and fascinating plant models, outline why they are interesting subjects to study, the questions they will help to answer, and the molecular tools that have been established and are available to researchers. CONCLUSIONS Understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying all aspects of plant biology can only be achieved with the adoption of a comprehensive set of models, each of which allows the assessment of at least one aspect of plant life. The model plants described here represent a step forward towards our goal to explore and comprehend the diversity of plant form and function. Still, several questions remain unanswered, but the constant development of novel technologies in molecular biology and bioinformatics is already paving the way for the next generation of plant models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Cesarino
- Department of Botany, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, Rua do Matão 277, Butantã, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Raffaele Dello Ioio
- Dipartimento di Biologia e Biotecnologie, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Gwendolyn K Kirschner
- University of Bonn, Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Division of Crop Functional Genomics, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael S Ogden
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm, Germany
| | - Kelsey L Picard
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS, Australia
| | - Madlen I Rast-Somssich
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marc Somssich
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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19
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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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20
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Abstract
C4 photosynthesis evolved multiple times independently from ancestral C3 photosynthesis in a broad range of flowering land plant families and in both monocots and dicots. The evolution of C4 photosynthesis entails the recruitment of enzyme activities that are not involved in photosynthetic carbon fixation in C3 plants to photosynthesis. This requires a different regulation of gene expression as well as a different regulation of enzyme activities in comparison to the C3 context. Further, C4 photosynthesis relies on a distinct leaf anatomy that differs from that of C3, requiring a differential regulation of leaf development in C4. We summarize recent progress in the understanding of C4-specific features in evolution and metabolic regulation in the context of C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urte Schlüter
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
| | - Andreas P M Weber
- Institute of Plant Biochemistry, Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS), Heinrich Heine University, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany; ,
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21
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Boxall SF, Kadu N, Dever LV, Kneřová J, Waller JL, Gould PJD, Hartwell J. Kalanchoë PPC1 Is Essential for Crassulacean Acid Metabolism and the Regulation of Core Circadian Clock and Guard Cell Signaling Genes. THE PLANT CELL 2020; 32:1136-1160. [PMID: 32051209 PMCID: PMC7145507 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.19.00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Revised: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Unlike C3 plants, Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants fix CO2 in the dark using phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PPC; EC 4.1.1.31). PPC combines phosphoenolpyruvate with CO2 (as HCO3 -), forming oxaloacetate. The oxaloacetate is converted to malate, leading to malic acid accumulation in the vacuole, which peaks at dawn. During the light period, malate decarboxylation concentrates CO2 around Rubisco for secondary fixation. CAM mutants lacking PPC have not been described. Here, we employed RNA interference to silence the CAM isogene PPC1 in Kalanchoë laxiflora Line rPPC1-B lacked PPC1 transcripts, PPC activity, dark period CO2 fixation, and nocturnal malate accumulation. Light period stomatal closure was also perturbed, and the plants displayed reduced but detectable dark period stomatal conductance and arrhythmia of the CAM CO2 fixation circadian rhythm under constant light and temperature free-running conditions. By contrast, the rhythm of delayed fluorescence was enhanced in plants lacking PPC1 Furthermore, a subset of gene transcripts within the central circadian oscillator was upregulated and oscillated robustly in this line. The regulation of guard cell genes involved in controlling stomatal movements was also perturbed in rPPC1-B These findings provide direct evidence that the regulatory patterns of key guard cell signaling genes are linked with the characteristic inverse pattern of stomatal opening and closing during CAM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna F Boxall
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Nirja Kadu
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Louisa V Dever
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Jana Kneřová
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Jade L Waller
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - Peter J D Gould
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
| | - James Hartwell
- Department of Functional and Comparative Genomics, Institute of Integrative Biology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, United Kingdom
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22
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Khoshravesh R, Stata M, Busch FA, Saladié M, Castelli JM, Dakin N, Hattersley PW, Macfarlane TD, Sage RF, Ludwig M, Sage TL. The Evolutionary Origin of C 4 Photosynthesis in the Grass Subtribe Neurachninae. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 182:566-583. [PMID: 31611421 PMCID: PMC6945869 DOI: 10.1104/pp.19.00925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The Australian grass subtribe Neurachninae contains closely related species that use C3, C4, and C2 photosynthesis. To gain insight into the evolution of C4 photosynthesis in grasses, we examined leaf gas exchange, anatomy and ultrastructure, and tissue localization of Gly decarboxylase subunit P (GLDP) in nine Neurachninae species. We identified previously unrecognized variation in leaf structure and physiology within Neurachne that represents varying degrees of C3-C4 intermediacy in the Neurachninae. These include inverse correlations between the apparent photosynthetic carbon dioxide (CO2) compensation point in the absence of day respiration (C * ) and chloroplast and mitochondrial investment in the mestome sheath (MS), where CO2 is concentrated in C2 and C4 Neurachne species; width of the MS cells; frequency of plasmodesmata in the MS cell walls adjoining the parenchymatous bundle sheath; and the proportion of leaf GLDP invested in the MS tissue. Less than 12% of the leaf GLDP was allocated to the MS of completely C3 Neurachninae species with C * values of 56-61 μmol mol-1, whereas two-thirds of leaf GLDP was in the MS of Neurachne lanigera, which exhibits a newly-identified, partial C2 phenotype with C * of 44 μmol mol-1 Increased investment of GLDP in MS tissue of the C2 species was attributed to more MS mitochondria and less GLDP in mesophyll mitochondria. These results are consistent with a model where C4 evolution in Neurachninae initially occurred via an increase in organelle and GLDP content in MS cells, which generated a sink for photorespired CO2 in MS tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Khoshravesh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Matt Stata
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Florian A Busch
- Research School of Biology and Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601, Australia
| | - Montserrat Saladié
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Joanne M Castelli
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Nicole Dakin
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Paul W Hattersley
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Terry D Macfarlane
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
- Western Australian Herbarium, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Perth, Western Australia 6983 Australia
| | - Rowan F Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
| | - Martha Ludwig
- School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Tammy L Sage
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 3B2
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23
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Ermakova M, Lopez-Calcagno PE, Raines CA, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer S. Overexpression of the Rieske FeS protein of the Cytochrome b6f complex increases C 4 photosynthesis in Setaria viridis. Commun Biol 2019; 2:314. [PMID: 31453378 PMCID: PMC6697696 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0561-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is characterised by a CO2 concentrating mechanism that operates between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells increasing CO2 partial pressure at the site of Rubisco and photosynthetic efficiency. Electron transport chains in both cell types supply ATP and NADPH for C4 photosynthesis. Cytochrome b6f is a key control point of electron transport in C3 plants. To study whether C4 photosynthesis is limited by electron transport we constitutively overexpressed the Rieske FeS subunit in Setaria viridis. This resulted in a higher Cytochrome b6f content in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells without marked changes in the abundances of other photosynthetic proteins. Rieske overexpression plants showed better light conversion efficiency in both Photosystems and could generate higher proton-motive force across the thylakoid membrane underpinning an increase in CO2 assimilation rate at ambient and saturating CO2 and high light. Our results demonstrate that removing electron transport limitations can increase 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, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | | | - Christine A. Raines
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ UK
| | - Robert T. Furbank
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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24
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Ermakova M, Lopez-Calcagno PE, Raines CA, Furbank RT, von Caemmerer S. Overexpression of the Rieske FeS protein of the Cytochrome b6f complex increases C 4 photosynthesis in Setaria viridis. Commun Biol 2019. [PMID: 31453378 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-019-0561-569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2023] Open
Abstract
C4 photosynthesis is characterised by a CO2 concentrating mechanism that operates between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells increasing CO2 partial pressure at the site of Rubisco and photosynthetic efficiency. Electron transport chains in both cell types supply ATP and NADPH for C4 photosynthesis. Cytochrome b6f is a key control point of electron transport in C3 plants. To study whether C4 photosynthesis is limited by electron transport we constitutively overexpressed the Rieske FeS subunit in Setaria viridis. This resulted in a higher Cytochrome b6f content in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells without marked changes in the abundances of other photosynthetic proteins. Rieske overexpression plants showed better light conversion efficiency in both Photosystems and could generate higher proton-motive force across the thylakoid membrane underpinning an increase in CO2 assimilation rate at ambient and saturating CO2 and high light. Our results demonstrate that removing electron transport limitations can increase C4 photosynthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Ermakova
- 1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | | | - Christine A Raines
- 2School of Biological Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ UK
| | - Robert T Furbank
- 1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- 1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Division of Plant Science, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory 2601 Australia
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