Phosphorous Deficiency and Photosynthesis
Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, ResearchPhosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient, and P deficiency limits plant productivity. P influences many aspects of photosynthesis P-deficient plants typically remain green and do not develop leaf chlorosis and yet P starvation immediately affects CO2 assimilation. Specifically, P deficiency is believed…
Review: Rubisco is not really so bad ($) (Plant Cell Environ)
Plant Science Research WeeklyThe carbon-fixing enzyme Rubisco (Ribulose‐1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is much-maligned and has been described as “sluggish” and with “confused specificity”. In this new Review, Bathellier et al. argue that it is “not really so bad”. Their reasoning is that when Rubisco’s…
Red algal Rubisco fails to accumulate in tobacco expressing Griffithsia monilis RbcL and RbcS genes (Plant Direct)
Plant Science Research WeeklyFollowing up on earlier studies in which they introduced cyanobacterial Rubisco into tobacco, Lin and Hanson endeavoured to introduce into tobacco Rubisco genes from a red alga, which has an unusually high CO2/O2 specificity. Although they were able to demonstrate the presence of the genes and their…
The impacts of phosphorus deficiency on the photosynthetic electron transport chain (Plant Physiol)
Plant Science Research WeeklyPhosphorus deficiency is widespread and can severely limit plant growth. Carstensen et al. investigated how P deficiency affects photosynthesis in barley. They compared chlorophyll a fluorescence transients (OJIP transients) between P-deficient, sufficient and resupplied plants. They observed depletion…
Saving Algae from Environmental Stresses
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellDu et al. investigate an important protein that regulates photosynthesis under stress. Plant Cell. https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00446.
Background:…
Update: Ethylene exerts species-specific and age-dependent control of photosynthesis
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: UpdatesBy Johan Ceuster and Bram Van de Poel
Abstract
The volatile plant hormone ethylene plays a regulatory role in many developmental processes and in biotic and abiotic stress responses. One of the under-explored actions of ethylene is its regulation of photosynthesis and associated components such…
Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli (Sci. Adv.)
Plant Science Research WeeklyAlthough the reactions and enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll are well known, the entire pathway has never before been reconstituted in a non-photosynthetic organism. Chen et al. have done this. The cells (E. coli) expressing the full pathway accumulate chlorophyll and look green! However,…
Protection from the Sun: Sunscreen for Plants
Research, The Plant Cell, The Plant Cell: In a NutshellMalnoë et al. demonstrate that a protein from the lipocalin family plays a role in promoting energy dissipation that prevents damage from long-term light stress. The Plant Cell (2017). https://doi.org/10.1105/tpc.17.00536
By Alizée Malnoë
Background: Light is necessary for plant growth…
Glucose-Induced Trophic Shift in an Endosymbiotic Dinoflagellate
Blog, Plant Physiology, Plant Physiology: On The Inside, Research, Research BlogDinoflagellates in the genus Symbiodinium have the ability to enter into endosymbiotic associations with corals, providing the metabolic basis for the highly productive and biologically diverse coral-reef ecosystems, as well as with other cnidarians, including sea anemones and jellyfish. The Symbiodinium-coral…