Adapting C₄ photosynthesis to atmospheric change and increasing productivity by elevating Rubisco content in sorghum and sugarcane.

ABSTRACT: Meta-analyses and theory show that with rising atmospheric [CO₂], Rubisco has become the greatest limitation to light-saturated leaf CO₂ assimilation rates (A_sat) in C₄ crops. So would transgenically increasing Rubisco increase A_sat and result in increased productivity in the field? Here, we successfully overexpressed the Rubisco small subunit (RbcS) with Rubisco accumulation factor 1 (Raf1) in both sorghum and sugarcane, resulting in significant increases in Rubisco content of 13 to 25% and up to 90% respectively. A_sat increased 12 to 15% and Rubisco enzyme activity ~40% in three independent transgenic events of both species. Sorghum plants also showed increased speeds of photosynthetic in

SUBMITTER: Salesse-Smith CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11873827 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature