The Integration of Algal Carbon Concentration Mechanism Components into Tobacco Chloroplasts Increases Photosynthetic Efficiency and Biomass

• DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800170
• Publication Date: 2018-06-11T10:55:28Z
• Authors: Greta Nölke; Mirna Barsoum; Marcel Houdelet; Elsa Arcalís; Fritz Kreuzaler; Rainer Fischer; Stefan Schillberg
• Keywords: Photosynthetic efficiency; Carbon fixation

Increasing the productivity of crops is a major challenge in agricultural research. Given that photosynthetic carbon assimilation necessary for plant growth, enhancing efficiency photosynthesis one strategy to boost productivity. The authors attempted increase and biomass tobacco plants by expressing individual components Chlamydomonas reinhardtii concentration mechanism (CCM) integrating them into chloroplast. Independent transgenic varieties are generated accumulating carbonic anhydrase CAH3 thylakoid lumen or bicarbonate transporter LCIA inner chloroplast membrane. homozygous lines showed enhanced CO2 uptake rates (up 15%), increased photosystem II (by up 18%), chlorophyll content 19%). Transgenic produced more shoot than wild-type azygous controls, accumulated carbohydrate amino acids, reflecting higher rate fixation. These data demonstrate algal CCM can be integrated C3 biomass, suggesting combining multiple could further yield crops.