Ectopic expression of C4 photosynthetic pathway genes improves carbon assimilation and alleviate stress tolerance for future climate change

Abstract

Alteration in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration and other environmental factors are the significant cues of global climate change. Environmental factors affect the most fundamental biological process including photosynthesis and different metabolic pathways. The feeding of the rapidly growing world population is another challenge which imposes pressure to improve productivity and quality of the existing crops. C₄ plants are considered the most productive, containing lower photorespiration, and higher water-use & N-assimilation efficiencies, compared to C₃ plants. Besides, the C₄-photosynthetic genes not only play an important role in carbon assimilation but also modulate abiotic stresses. In this review, fundamental three metabolic processes (C₄, C₃, and CAM) of carbon dioxide assimilation, the evolution of C₄-photosynthetic genes, effect of elevated CO₂ on photosynthesis, and overexpression of C₄-photosynthetic genes for higher photosynthesis were discussed. Kranz-anatomy is considered an essential prerequisite for the terrestrial C₄ carbon assimilation, but single-celled C₄ plant species changed this well-established paradigm. C₄ plants are insensitive to an elevated CO₂ stress condition but performed better under stress conditions. Overexpression of essential C₄-photosynthetic genes such as PEPC, PPDK, and NADP-ME in C₃ plants like Arabidopsis, tobacco, rice, wheat, and potato not only improved photosynthesis but also provided tolerance to various environmental stresses, especially drought. The review provides useful information for sustainable productivity and yield under elevated CO₂ environment, which to be explored further for CO₂ assimilation and also abiotic stress tolerance. Additionally, it provides a better understanding to explore C₄-photosynthetic gene(s) to cope with global warming and prospective adverse climatic changes.

Keywords: Abiotic stress; C3; C4; CAM; Carbon assimilation; Global warming; Photosynthesis.

Fig. 1

Schematic diagram of C₄ photosynthesis pathway. a Single-cell C₄ photosynthesis pathway and b Karnz-anatomy C₄ photosynthesis pathway (NADP-ME type). CA carbonic anhydrases; OAA oxaloacetic acid, Mal malate, Pyr pyruvate, Gly-3-P glycerol-3-phosphate

Fig. 2

Schematic diagram of three subtypes of C₄ photosynthesis. a NADP-ME subtype, b NAD-ME subtype, and c PEPCK subtype. Ala-amino alanine aminotransferase, Asp-amino aspartate aminotransferase

Fig. 3

Physiological and biochemical response of plants under an elevated CO₂ environment condition