Article
Plant Sciences
Leila Feiz, Yukari Asakura, Linyong Mao, Susan R. Strickler, Zhangjun Fei, Margarita Rojas, Alice Barkan, David B. Stern
Summary: A new study shows that CRM Family Member1 (CFM1) facilitates the splicing of chloroplast introns in plants, particularly those not previously known to require CRM domain proteins. Deficiencies in these introns result in compromised chloroplast protein synthesis, leading to whole-plant chlorotic phenotypes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Atara Gal, Ahan Dalal, Moran Anfang, Davinder Sharma, Jenia Binenbaum, Purity Muchaki, Rakesh Kumar, Aiman Egbaria, Karoline Estefani Duarte, Gilor Kelly, Wagner Rodrigo de Souza, Nir Sade
Summary: This study focused on understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms controlling root hydraulic conductivity and root-to-shoot gas exchange signaling in Setaria viridis. The research found that there is a positive correlation between root hydraulic conductivity and gas exchange, which is regulated by plasma membrane aquaporins.
Article
Biology
Cheyenne M. Anderson, Erin M. Mattoon, Ningning Zhang, Eric Becker, William McHargue, Jiani Yang, Dhruv Patel, Oliver Dautermann, Scott A. M. McAdam, Tonantzin Tarin, Sunita Pathak, Tom J. Avenson, Jeffrey Berry, Maxwell Braud, Krishna K. Niyogi, Margaret Wilson, Dmitri A. Nusinow, Rodrigo Vargas, Kirk J. Czymmek, Andrea L. Eveland, Ru Zhang
Summary: The study exposed C-4 model plant Setaria viridis to high light or high temperature treatments and observed reduction in photosynthetic efficiency. Differences in key pathways and responses in different cells were identified. Unique acclimation and stress response strategies in C-4 plants were revealed.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Miao Qi, Xiaodi Liu, Yibo Li, He Song, Zuotian Yin, Feng Zhang, Qijin He, Zhenzhu Xu, Guangsheng Zhou
Summary: Abnormally altered precipitation patterns induced by climate change have profound global effects on crop production. Plant functional responses to various precipitation regimes were investigated and it was found that drought and flooding can hinder photosynthetic capacity. However, photosynthetic traits can recover after rewatering, with possible regulative trade-offs in response to episodic drought and subsequent rewatering, enhancing drought resistance and resilience in plants.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Takaki Yamauchi, Mikio Nakazono
Summary: Aerenchyma formation is crucial for oxygen diffusion in rice roots under low-oxygen conditions. Both ethylene and auxin hormones are involved in regulating aerenchyma formation in rice roots. The study found that ethylene-dependent aerenchyma formation is faster and rice roots have more aerenchyma, enabling efficient oxygen diffusion under low-oxygen conditions. Additionally, in rice, the expression levels of ethylene biosynthesis and responsive genes rapidly increase after root-cell emergence, contributing to the rapid induction of ethylene-dependent aerenchyma formation.
Article
Plant Sciences
Minh Ganther, Eva Lippold, Manuela Desiree Bienert, Marie-Lara Bouffaud, Mario Bauer, Louis Baumann, Gerd Patrick Bienert, Doris Vetterlein, Anna Heintz-Buschart, Mika Tapio Tarkka
Summary: Understanding the importance of root hairs for maize nutrition, carbon allocation, and gene expression is crucial in assessing their contributions to plant growth. This study found that root hairs stimulated maize shoot growth and total nutrient uptake, but other parameters were influenced more by growth stage and soil texture. Further research should investigate the relationship between root hair functioning and observed losses in maize productivity and growth efficiency.
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan Hu, Baizhao Ren, Shuting Dong, Peng Liu, Bin Zhao, Jiwang Zhang
Summary: The research shows that the application of 6-BA can enhance the tolerance of summer maize to waterlogging, improve chloroplast ultrastructure and photosynthetic performance, ultimately increasing photosynthesis rate and grain yield.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Jiri Kudrna, Marek Popov, Frantisek Hnilicka, Marie Lhotska, Veronika Zemanova, Pavla Vachova, Jan Kubes, Jana Ceska, Barbora Tunklova
Summary: Zea mays L. plants were exposed to different concentrations of acetaminophen (APAP) in a semi-controlled greenhouse. The study evaluated the impact of APAP contamination on photosynthetic rate, water potential, proline content, and levels of 5-methylcytosine (5 mC%). The results showed that high concentrations of APAP led to decreased transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and water use efficiency. Additionally, an increase in 5 mC% levels was observed with APAP contamination, with a significant change observed between 600 mg L-1 and 800 mg L-1 of APAP treatments.
Article
Plant Sciences
Seyedeh Batool Hassani, Mojgan Latifi, Sasan Aliniaeifard, Shabnam Sohrabi Bonab, Neda Nasiri Almanghadim, Sara Jafari, Elham Mohebbifar, Anahita Ahangir, Maryam Seifikalhor, Hassan Rezadoost, Massimo Bosacchi, Anshu Rastogi, Francoise Bernard
Summary: Cadmium is a heavy metal widely found in the environment due to its industrial uses. It has negative effects on plant growth and photosynthesis. An experiment on maize seedlings showed that the expression of ORDC increased under Cd exposure, but Put content only increased on day 15. Spermidine and Spermine levels were reduced on day 6 but increased on day 12. Cd started accumulating in the roots on day 6 and in the shoot part on day 15. Different miRNAs may regulate polyamines in maize under Cd toxicity.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Fu Chen, Zille Huma, Zafar Iqbal Khan, Ijaz Rasool Noorka, Kafeel Ahmad, Sonaina Nazar, Humayun Bashir, Mudassra Munir, Jing Ma, Asma Ashfaq, Razia Sultana, Yongjun Yang, Jawaher Alkahtani, Mohamed Soliman Elshikh, Ifra Saleem Malik
Summary: The study found that irrigation of grains with sewage water led to higher accumulation of potassium in maize plants, resulting in higher potassium content in the chicken body parts reared on this maize. Additionally, season and treatment significantly influenced the potassium content in the chicken organs.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Yanhong Li, Lei Wang, Bin Zhao, Peng Liu, Jiwang Zhang, Shuting Dong, Deyang Shi
Summary: Corn-peanut intercropping, an important element of China's agricultural planting model, provides ecological benefits and increases yield. This study used the C-13 isotope tracer labeling method to explore the productivity differences between intercropping and monoculture. The results showed that intercropping increased yield by improving photosynthetic rate, leaf area, C-13 assimilation distribution, and dry matter accumulation of corn. Decreased peanut yield was mainly caused by a decrease in full-pod rate and number of pods per plant. However, the decrease in peanut yield did not affect the overall benefits of intercropping, as corn-peanut intercropping yielded greater economic benefits than monoculture.
Article
Agronomy
Rui Fang, Yansheng Li, Zhenhua Yu, Zhihuang Xie, Guanghua Wang, Xiaobing Liu, Junjie Liu, Stephen J. Herbert, Jian Jin
Summary: The effects of climate change and eCO(2) on the retention of photosynthetic carbon in different soil types vary, with poor understanding of the underlying mechanisms.
ARCHIVES OF AGRONOMY AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Mahmoud F. Seleiman, Awais Ahmad, Bushra Ahmed Alhammad, Elkamil Tola
Summary: The study evaluated the effectiveness of zinc oxide nanoparticles as salinity mitigators in maize plants. The results showed that foliar treatment with zinc oxide nanoparticles successfully alleviated the negative effects of salinity and significantly improved various parameters.
Article
Plant Sciences
Joao Travassos-Lins, Caio Cesar de Oliveira Rocha, Tamires de Souza Rodrigues, Marcio Alves-Ferreira
Summary: This study utilized two accessions of Setaria viridis and found that A10.1 accession exhibited higher tolerance to water deficit, while molecular level response evaluation could monitor drought stress.
PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Baizhao Ren, Weizhen Yu, Peng Liu, Bin Zhao, Jiwang Zhang
Summary: A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of waterlogging and shading stresses on leaf photosynthesis and senescence in summer maize. The study found that waterlogging, shading, and their combination disrupted protective enzyme activities, increased the levels of H2O2 and O-2, accelerated leaf senescence, and affected photosynthetic characteristics. These stresses led to a decrease in leaf net photosynthesis, photo-assimilates, and grain yield. The combined stresses had the greatest impact at the third leaf stage, followed by the sixth leaf stage and the tasseling stage. Shading stress had the greatest effect at the tasseling stage, followed by the sixth leaf stage and the third leaf stage, and the combined influence of shading and waterlogging was stronger than either single stress.
Review
Plant Sciences
Yuzhen Fan, Shinichi Asao, Robert T. Furbank, Susanne von Caemmerer, David A. Day, Guillaume Tcherkez, Tammy L. Sage, Rowan F. Sage, Owen K. Atkin
Summary: C-4 photosynthesis involves a series of biochemical and anatomical traits that significantly improve plant productivity under conditions that reduce the efficiency of C-3 photosynthesis. Mitochondria in C-4 NAD-ME and PCK types play a direct role in decarboxylation of metabolites for C-4 photosynthesis, while in C-4 PCK type they also provide ATP for C-4 metabolism. Changes in mitochondrial properties are absent in the C-4 NADP-ME type and C-3 leaves, where mitochondria play no direct role in photosynthesis. Rates of leaf respiration in darkness vary considerably among C-4 species but do not differ systematically among the three C-4 types.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yuzhen Fan, Andrew P. Scafaro, Shinichi Asao, Robert T. Furbank, Antony Agostino, David A. Day, Susanne von Caemmerer, Florence R. Danila, Melanie Rug, Daryl Webb, Jiwon Lee, Owen K. Atkin
Summary: This study investigates the relationship between different types of mitochondria and photosynthesis in C-4 plants. The results show that there are differences in mitochondrial traits and respiratory response among different types of C-4 plants, but no clear correlation is observed between these traits and leaf dark respiration rates.
PLANT CELL AND ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Cristina R. G. Sales, Gemma Molero, John R. Evans, Samuel H. Taylor, Ryan Joynson, Robert T. Furbank, Anthony Hall, Elizabete Carmo-Silva
Summary: Research on the potential of photosynthesis to improve crop yields has led to the identification of breeding targets. The enzyme Rubisco, responsible for CO2 fixation, is inefficient and often limits carbon assimilation in wheat. Two bread wheat lines with similar genetic backgrounds but contrasting Rubisco activity were chosen for detailed study. Phenotypic analysis of photosynthetic traits in these lines showed no difference in Rubisco activity between in vivo and in vitro methods. Additionally, there was no correlation between photosynthetic traits measured in field-grown plants using high-throughput phenotyping. These findings highlight the need to consider the complex interplay between traits and the dynamic environment in breeding strategies for wheat yield improvement.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Review
Plant Sciences
Robert E. Sharwood, W. Paul Quick, Demi Sargent, Gonzalo M. Estavillo, Viridiana Silva-Perez, Robert T. Furbank
Summary: Improving photosynthetic traits in crops is crucial for increasing yield potential and crop resilience. The use of synthetic biology and genetic technologies allows for the exploration of genetic resources in gene banks to discover novel allelic variation and accelerate genetic progress in crop breeding programs. This article discusses strategies to selectively target allelic variation in key photosynthetic genes and the deployment of this variation through gene editing in modern elite materials.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Florence Danila, Tom Schreiber, Maria Ermakova, Lei Hua, Daniela Vlad, Shuen-Fang Lo, Yi-Shih Chen, Julia Lambret-Frotte, Anna S. Hermanns, Benedikt Athmer, Susanne von Caemmerer, Su-May Yu, Julian M. Hibberd, Alain Tissier, Robert T. Furbank, Steven Kelly, Jane A. Langdale
Summary: In biological research, controlling transgene expression spatially and temporally is crucial. However, the limited availability of specific tissue-specific and/or time-specific promoter sequences often hinders the co-expression of multiple transgenes in precisely controlled developmental contexts. In this study, researchers developed a system for rice that utilizes synthetic designer transcription activator-like effectors (dTALEs) and synthetic TALE-activated promoters (STAPs) to allow expression of multiple transgenes from different promoters. The system demonstrated successful activation of reporter gene expression in stable transgenic rice lines, with transgene transcript levels dependent on the sequence identities of dTALEs and STAPs. The system has the potential to fine-tune the expression of multiple transgenes and introduce different synthetic circuits into distinct developmental contexts.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Saul Justin Newman, Robert T. Furbank
Review
Plant Sciences
Andres Garcia, Oorbessy Gaju, Andrew F. Bowerman, Sally A. Buck, John R. Evans, Robert T. Furbank, Matthew Gilliham, A. Harvey Millar, Barry J. Pogson, Matthew P. Reynolds, Yong-Ling Ruan, Nicolas L. Taylor, Stephen D. Tyerman, Owen K. Atkin
Summary: This review explores the potential to increase crop yield potential by optimizing the efficiency of converting light energy into biomass, respiratory ATP production, and ATP use. By targeting factors such as photoprotective machinery, enzymatic kinetics, and metabolic pathways, it is possible to significantly enhance the yield potential of globally important crops.
Article
Plant Sciences
Maria Ermakova, Patricia E. Lopez-Calcagno, Robert T. Furbank, Christine A. Raines, Susanne von Caemmerer
Summary: Overexpression of SBPase does not improve photosynthesis in a model C-4 plant.
Article
Plant Sciences
Urs F. Benning, Lily Chen, Alexander Watson-Lazowski, Clemence Henry, Robert T. Furbank, Oula Ghannoum
Summary: This study compared the expression of sugar sensor genes in C-3 and C-4 grasses, focusing on source tissues of C-4 grasses. The results showed that there is no significant difference in how sugars are sensed between C-4 and C-3 grasses, but there are some contrasts between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells.
Article
Plant Sciences
Lily Chen, Diep R. Ganguly, Sarah H. Shafik, Florence Danila, Christopher P. L. Grof, Robert E. Sharwood, Robert T. Furbank
Summary: The localization of SWEET4 protein in the seed and stem of Setaria viridis suggests its involvement in supplying sugars to carbon sink tissues. SWEET proteins play a crucial role in apoplastic sugar transport during phloem unloading and the post-phloem pathway in developing seeds. The study provides evidence for the role of SWEET proteins in the apoplastic transport pathway and proposes a pathway for post-phloem sugar transport into the seed.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Review
Plant Sciences
Robert Furbank, Steven Kelly, Susanne von Caemmerer
Summary: Traditional Green Revolution strategies in cereal breeding for improved yield in rice are plateauing, so international consortia are now focusing on targeting photosynthesis to increase yield potential. Synthetic biology is being used in large-scale projects to enhance photosynthetic efficiency. This review focuses on the Bill and Melinda Gates funded C-4 Rice Project, one of the first consortia projects aimed at introducing C-4 photosynthesis attributes into the C-3 crop rice. The advancements in installing the biochemical pathway and the remaining challenges are discussed.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Maria Ermakova, Russell Woodford, Zachary Taylor, Robert T. Furbank, Srinivas Belide, Susanne von Caemmerer
Summary: By overexpressing the Rieske FeS subunit in sorghum plants, researchers found that increasing Rieske content can improve the efficiency of light utilization and conversion to biomass, resulting in increased crop yield and food quality.
PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL
(2023)
Correction
Plant Sciences
Saul Justin Newman, Robert T. Furbank