Rubisco Catalytic Properties and Temperature Response in Crops

Abstract

ORCID IDs: 0000-0003-3272-3054 (C.H.-C.); 0000-0001-7966-0295 (M.V.K.); 0000-0002-7299-9349 (J.G.).Rubisco catalytic traits and their thermal dependence are two major factors limiting the CO 2 assimilation potential of plants. In this study, we present the profile of Rubisco kinetics for 20 crop species at three different temperatures. The results largely confirmed the existence of significant variation in the Rubisco kinetics among species. Although some of the species tended to present Rubisco with higher thermal sensitivity (e.g. Oryza sativa) than others (e.g. Lactuca sativa), interspecific differences depended on the kinetic parameter. Comparing the temperature response of the different kinetic parameters, the Rubisco K m for CO 2 presented higher energy of activation than the maximum carboxylation rate and the CO 2 compensation point in the absence of mitochondrial respiration. The analysis of the Rubisco large subunit sequence revealed the existence of some sites under adaptive evolution in branches with specific kinetic traits. Because Rubisco kinetics and their temperature dependency were species specific, they largely affected the assimilation potential of Rubisco from the different crops, especially under those conditions (i.e. low CO 2 availability at the site of carboxylation and high temperature) inducing Rubisco-limited photosynthesis. As an example, at 25°C, Rubisco from Hordeum vulgare and Glycine max presented, respectively, the highest and lowest potential for CO 2 assimilation at both high and low chloroplastic CO 2 concentrations. In our opinion, this information is relevant to improve photosynthesis models and should be considered in future attempts to design more efficient Rubiscos.

Acclimation of Biochemical and Diffusive Components of Photosynthesis in Rice, Wheat, and Maize to Heat and Water Deficit: Implications for Modeling Photosynthesis

“…In contrast, measuring in vitro kinetic constants of Rubisco is easier and less time consuming, so that a number of different species can be characterized in a reasonable time (Hermida-Carrera et al, 2016; Orr et al, 2016; Prins et al, 2016). Therefore, we propose using Γ * derived from in vitro S c/o measured in each species at different temperatures to first estimate g m and, then, parameterize photosynthesis from A N -C c curves using the species and temperature specific in vitro kinetics of Rubisco rather than “standard” values determined for model species.…”

Diffusional conductance to CO2 is the key limitation to photosynthesis in salt‐stressed leaves of rice (Oryza sativa)

“…Г* is related to the Rubisco‐specific factor ( S C/O ), which is relatively conserved under a given temperature condition. In the present study, rice S C/O at 28°C was obtained from Hermida‐Carrera et al (). Then, g m was calculated as follows: where, C i represents the intercellular CO 2 concentration.…”

Evolutionary trends in RuBisCO kinetics and their co‐evolution with CO2 concentrating mechanisms

“…Evidence suggests that the evolution of RuBisCO catalytic constants has also been driven by the prevailing growth temperature (Sage, ; Galmés et al , ; Tcherkez et al , ; Galmés et al , ), apart from the CO 2 and O 2 concentrations at the RuBisCO active sites. Within the described temperature general trends, RuBisCO thermal dependencies vary significantly among different organisms, even within closely related species (Galmés et al , ; Hermida‐Carrera et al , ; Orr et al , ). When described with an Arrhenius model, the activation energy (Δ H a ) for S c/o varied nearly four‐fold, while the Δ H a for K c and k cat c varied three‐fold and two‐fold, respectively, among the different phylogenetic groups analyzed (Galmés et al , , ).…”