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doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac053pmid: 35467729
Cyanobacteria are an evolutionarily ancient and diverse group of microorganisms. Their genetic diversity has allowed them to occupy and play vital roles in a wide range of ecological niches, from desert soil crusts to tropical oceans. Owing to bioprospecting efforts and the development of new platform technologies enabling their study and manipulation, our knowledge of cyanobacterial metabolism is rapidly expanding. This review explores our current understanding of the genetic and metabolic features of cyanobacteria, from the more established cyanobacterial model strains to the newly isolated/described species, particularly the fast-growing, highly productive, and genetically amenable strains, as promising chassis for renewable biotechnology. It also discusses emerging technologies for their study and manipulation, enabling researchers to harness the astounding diversity of the cyanobacterial genomic and metabolic treasure trove towards the establishment of a sustainable bioeconomy.
Sharwood, Robert E; Quick, W Paul; Sargent, Demi; Estavillo, Gonzalo M; Silva-Perez, Viridiana; Furbank, Robert T
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac081pmid: 35274686
We outline the opportunities that exist within gene bank and germplasm collections to improve plant productivity by improving photosynthesis. Genetic variation underpinning novel traits can now be rapidly incorporated into breeders’ germplasm using synthetic biology.
Sakoda, Kazuma; Adachi, Shunsuke; Yamori, Wataru; Tanaka, Yu
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac100pmid: 35298629
Under field environments, fluctuating light conditions induce dynamic photosynthesis, which affects carbon gain by crop plants. Elucidating the natural genetic variations among untapped germplasm resources and their underlying mechanisms can provide an effective strategy to improve dynamic photosynthesis and, ultimately, improve crop yields through molecular breeding approaches. In this review, we first overview two processes affecting dynamic photosynthesis, namely (i) biochemical processes associated with CO2 fixation and photoprotection and (ii) gas diffusion processes from the atmosphere to the chloroplast stroma. Next, we review the intra- and interspecific variations in dynamic photosynthesis in relation to each of these two processes. It is suggested that plant adaptations to different hydrological environments underlie natural genetic variation explained by gas diffusion through stomata. This emphasizes the importance of the coordination of photosynthetic and stomatal dynamics to optimize the balance between carbon gain and water use efficiency under field environments. Finally, we discuss future challenges in improving dynamic photosynthesis by utilizing natural genetic variation. The forward genetic approach supported by high-throughput phenotyping should be introduced to evaluate the effects of genetic and environmental factors and their interactions on the natural variation in dynamic photosynthesis.
Theeuwen, Tom P J M; Logie, Louise L; Harbinson, Jeremy; Aarts, Mark G M
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac076pmid: 35235648
Since the basic biochemical mechanisms of photosynthesis are remarkably conserved among plant species, genetic modification approaches have so far been the main route to improve the photosynthetic performance of crops. Yet, phenotypic variation observed in wild species and between varieties of crop species implies there is standing natural genetic variation for photosynthesis, offering a largely unexplored resource to use for breeding crops with improved photosynthesis and higher yields. The reason this has not yet been explored is that the variation probably involves thousands of genes, each contributing only a little to photosynthesis, making them hard to identify without proper phenotyping and genetic tools. This is changing, though, and increasingly studies report on quantitative trait loci for photosynthetic phenotypes. So far, hardly any of these quantitative trait loci have been used in marker assisted breeding or genomic selection approaches to improve crop photosynthesis and yield, and hardly ever have the underlying causal genes been identified. We propose to take the genetics of photosynthesis to a higher level, and identify the genes and alleles nature has used for millions of years to tune photosynthesis to be in line with local environmental conditions. We will need to determine the physiological function of the genes and alleles, and design novel strategies to use this knowledge to improve crop photosynthesis through conventional plant breeding, based on readily available crop plant germplasm. In this work, we present and discuss the genetic methods needed to reveal natural genetic variation, and elaborate on how to apply this to improve crop photosynthesis.
Burnett, Angela C; Kromdijk, Johannes
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac045pmid: 35143635
Photosynthetic chilling tolerance is composed of several physiological mechanisms, underpinned by differing amounts of genetic variation. A holistic, high-throughput approach is needed to improve chilling tolerance of photosynthesis in maize.
Fu, Peng; Montes, Christopher M; Siebers, Matthew H; Gomez-Casanovas, Nuria; McGrath, Justin M; Ainsworth, Elizabeth A; Bernacchi, Carl J
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac077pmid: 35218184
High-throughput phenotyping of photosynthesis is critical to continued improvements in crop yield. We review remote and proximal sensing-based phenotyping techniques and outline lessons, challenges, and opportunities facing photosynthesis high-throughput phenotyping.
Yin, Xinyou; Gu, Junfei; Dingkuhn, Michael; Struik, Paul C
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac109pmid: 35323898
Breeding for improved leaf photosynthesis is considered as a viable approach to increase crop yield. Whether it should be improved in combination with other traits has not been assessed critically. Based on the quantitative crop model GECROS that interconnects various traits to crop productivity, we review natural variation in relevant traits, from biochemical aspects of leaf photosynthesis to morpho-physiological crop characteristics. While large phenotypic variations (sometimes >2-fold) for leaf photosynthesis and its underlying biochemical parameters were reported, few quantitative trait loci (QTL) were identified, accounting for a small percentage of phenotypic variation. More QTL were reported for sink size (that feeds back on photosynthesis) or morpho-physiological traits (that affect canopy productivity and duration), together explaining a much greater percentage of their phenotypic variation. Traits for both photosynthetic rate and sustaining it during grain filling were strongly related to nitrogen-related traits. Much of the molecular basis of known photosynthesis QTL thus resides in genes controlling photosynthesis indirectly. Simulation using GECROS demonstrated the overwhelming importance of electron transport parameters, compared with the maximum Rubisco activity that largely determines the commonly studied light-saturated photosynthetic rate. Exploiting photosynthetic natural variation might significantly improve crop yield if nitrogen uptake, sink capacity, and other morpho-physiological traits are co-selected synergistically.
Young, Sophie N R; Dunning, Luke T; Liu, Hui; Stevens, Carly J; Lundgren, Marjorie R
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac113pmid: 35293994
While C3and C4trees inhabit similar environments, C4photosynthesis in trees expands the ecological niche relative to that of C3tree species.
Sales, Cristina R G; Molero, Gemma; Evans, John R; Taylor, Samuel H; Joynson, Ryan; Furbank, Robert T; Hall, Anthony; Carmo-Silva, Elizabete
doi: 10.1093/jxb/erac096pmid: 35271722
Recognition of the untapped potential of photosynthesis to improve crop yields has spurred research to identify targets for breeding. The CO2-fixing enzyme Rubisco is characterized by a number of inefficiencies, and frequently limits carbon assimilation at the top of the canopy, representing a clear target for wheat improvement. Two bread wheat lines with similar genetic backgrounds and contrasting in vivo maximum carboxylation activity of Rubisco per unit leaf nitrogen (Vc,max,25/Narea) determined using high-throughput phenotyping methods were selected for detailed study from a panel of 80 spring wheat lines. Detailed phenotyping of photosynthetic traits in the two lines using glasshouse-grown plants showed no difference in Vc,max,25/Narea determined directly via in vivo and in vitro methods. Detailed phenotyping of glasshouse-grown plants of the 80 wheat lines also showed no correlation between photosynthetic traits measured via high-throughput phenotyping of field-grown plants. Our findings suggest that the complex interplay between traits determining crop productivity and the dynamic environments experienced by field-grown plants needs to be considered in designing strategies for effective wheat crop yield improvement when breeding for particular environments.
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