Rubisco

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Terms modified by Rubisco

  • rubisco activity
  • rubisco content

  • Selected Abstracts


    REDOX PROPERTIES ARE CONSERVED IN RUBISCOS FROM DIATOMS AND GREEN ALGAE THROUGH A DIFFERENT PATTERN OF CYSTEINES,

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
    Julia Marín-Navarro
    Eukaryotic RUBISCO appears in two sequence-diverging forms, known as red-like (present in nongreen algae) and green-like (of green algae and higher plants) types. Oxidation of cysteines from green-like RUBISCOs is known to result in conformational changes that inactivate the enzyme and render a relaxed structure more prone to proteolytic attack. These changes may have regulatory value for green algae and higher plants, promoting RUBISCO catabolism under stress conditions. We compare here red-like RUBISCOs from several diatoms with a representative green-like RUBISCO from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, paying special attention to the cysteine-dependent redox properties. Purified diatom RUBISCO preparations displayed a specific carboxylase activity about one order of magnitude lower than that of the C. reinhardtii P. A. Dang. enzyme. Despite having different patterns of cysteine residues in their primary sequence, the red-like enzymes from diatoms inactivated also through oxidation of cysteine sulfhydryls to disulfides with a transition midpoint identical to that of the green-like forms. Cysteine oxidation resulted also in structural modifications of the diatom RUBISCOs, as recognized by a higher sensitivity of the oxidized enzyme to in vitro proteolysis. The coincident redox properties of red- and green-like RUBISCO types suggest that these changes are part of a physiologically significant regulatory mechanism that has been convergently implemented in both groups with a different set of cysteine residues. [source]


    PYRENOID FORMATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE CELL CYCLE IN THE BROWN ALGA, SCYTOSIPHON LOMENTARIA (SCYTOSIPHONALES, PHAEOPHYCEAE),

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 6 2003
    Chikako Nagasato
    Vegetative cells of the brown alga Scytosiphon lomentaria (Lyngbye) Link characteristically have only one chloroplast with a prominent protruding pyrenoid, whereas zygotes have both paternal and maternal chloroplasts. In zygotes, before cell and chloroplast division, each chloroplast has an old and a new pyrenoid. In this study, we raised a polyclonal antibody to RUBISCO and examined the distribution of RUBISCO by immunofluorescence microscopy, focusing on new pyrenoid formation in vegetative cells of gametophytes and zygotes in Scytosiphon. In interphase, only one old pyrenoid was positively indicated by anti-RUBISCO antibody in vegetative cells of gametophytes. From mid-S phase, small fluorescence aggregates reflecting RUBISCO localization started to appear at stroma positions other than adjacent to the old protruding pyrenoid. The fluorescent spots eventually coalesced into a protrusion into the adjacent cytoplasm. We also used inhibitors to clarify the relationship between the cell cycle and new pyrenoid formation, using zygotes after fertilization. When DNA replication was blocked by aphidicolin, new pyrenoid formation was also inhibited. Washing out aphidicolin permitted new pyrenoid formation with the progression of the cell cycle. When mitosis was prolonged by nocodazole, which disrupted the spindle microtubules, the fluorescent masses indicating RUBISCO localization continued to increase when compared with pyrenoid formation in untreated zygotes. During treatment with chloramphenicol, mitosis and cytokinesis were completed. However, there was no occurrence of new RUBISCO localization within the chloroplast stroma beyond the old pyrenoid. From these observations, it seems clear that new pyrenoid formation in the brown alga Scytosiphon depends on the cell cycle. [source]


    PHYLOGENETIC SYSTEMATICS OF THE ULVACEAE (ULVALES, ULVOPHYCEAE) USING CHLOROPLAST AND NUCLEAR DNA SEQUENCES,

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 6 2002
    Hillary S. Hayden
    Systematic hypotheses for the Ulvaceae were tested using phylogenetic analysis of sequences for the gene encoding the large subunit of RUBISCO, small subunit rDNA and a combined data matrix. Representatives of eight putative ulvaceous genera and twelve additional taxa from the Ulvophyceae and Trebouxiophyceae were included in analyses using maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood criteria. Molecular data supported hypotheses for the Ulvaceae that are based on the early development of vegetative thalli and motile cell ultrastructure. Ulvaceae sensu Floyd and O'Kelly, including Percursaria Bory de Saint-Vincent, Ulvaria Ruprecht and a complex of closely related species of Chloropelta Tanner, Enteromorpha Link and Ulva L. was supported; however, monophyly of Enteromorpha and Ulva was not supported. The Ulvales and Ulotrichales sensu Floyd and O'Kelly were monophyletic. Blidingia Kylin and Kornmannia Bliding were allied with the former and Capsosiphon Gobi with the latter, although relationships among these and other taxa in these orders remain uncertain. The Ulvales are characterized by an isomorphic life history pattern, gametangia and sporangia that are identical in structure and development, motile cells with bilobed terminal caps and proximal sheaths consisting of two equal subunits. Method of motile cell release and the gross morphology of vegetative thalli are not systematically reliable characters. [source]


    Proteomics in globe artichoke: Protein extraction and sample complexity reduction by PEG fractionation

    ELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 9 2009
    Alberto Acquadro
    Abstract Here, we report the first leaf proteome analysis for globe artichoke. Three protein extraction protocols were tested and a reproducible Mg/NP-40-based method was established. Ribulose-1,5-biphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (RuBisCO) is a highly abundant leaf protein, and its presence masks co-localizing, less abundant proteins. To remove RuBisCO from the sample, and thereby improve spot resolution, a PEG fractionation approach was elaborated. 2-DE profiles of various PEG fractions showed that the fractionation procedure was successful in excluding most of the RuBisCO, allowing for the detection of many low-abundance proteins. Western blot analysis was able to confirm the reduction in RuBisCO content achieved by PEG fractionation. In all, 841 distinct protein spots were detected, and 40 of these, selected from the RuBisCO region of the 2-DE profile, were successfully identified by MS. A number of homologues of these proteins also co-localize with RuBisCO in Arabidopsis thaliana. [source]


    A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF GIGAR-TINACEAE FROM PACIFIC NORTH AMERICA BASED ON MOLECULAR AND MORPHOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

    JOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000
    J.R. Hughey
    Greater than 50 species of Gigartinaceae have been described from Pacific North America, about half of which are currently recognized. Although the family is treated extensively in the taxonomic literature, many of the species are still confused and a comprehensive revision is required. We sequenced the rbcL (RuBisCO) gene and ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) 1, 2, and 5.8S regions from a large number of recent collections and identified a discrete of number data sets. These were analysed in comparison with the morphological evidence for each of the taxa. Uncertain of the possibility that our operational taxonomic units may not correspond to the types, we developed a protocol for isolating PCR-friendly DNA from herbarium specimens, some reaching back as far as 1670. The DNA profiles of types and historically important specimens were compared to those for recently collected silica gel-dried and formalin-fixed material and assigned correct names. Species studied ranged from Alaska to Mexico and the Gulf of California and were compared to outgroup taxa from Pacific South America and the Southern Ocean. Particular attention was paid to variations in morphology as they relate to habitat with emphasis on the presence or absence of different morphological forms among sympatric and allopatric populations. We recognize 10 species in Chondracanthus (including one new combination and one new species) and 16 species in Mazzaella (including two new combinations and two new species). Finally, we tested a phylogenetic hypothesis inferred for the Gigartinaceae from rbcL sequences for congruence with one generated from ITS sequences. [source]


    Structure of the apo decarbamylated form of 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate enolase from Bacillus subtilis

    ACTA CRYSTALLOGRAPHICA SECTION D, Issue 9 2009
    Haruka Tamura
    2,3-Diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate enolase (DK-MTP-1P enolase), a RuBisCO-like protein (RLP), catalyzes the enolization of 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate. The crystal structure of the apo decarbamylated form (E form) of Bacillus subtilis DK-MTP-1P enolase (Bs-DK-MTP-1P enolase) has been determined at 2.3,Å resolution. The overall structure of the E form of Bs-DK-MTP-1P enolase highly resembles that of Geobacillus kaustophilus DK-MTP-1P enolase (Gk-DK-MTP-1P enolase), with the exception of a few insertions or deletions and of a few residues at the active site. In the E form of Bs-DK-MTP-1P enolase, Lys150 (equivalent to Lys175 in RuBisCO) at the active site adopts a conformation that is distinct from those observed in the other forms of Gk-DK-MTP-1P enolase. This unusual conformational change appears to be induced by changes in the , and , angles of Gly151, which is conserved in the sequences of the Bs-DK-MTP-1P and Gk-DK-MTP-1P enolases but not in those of RuBisCOs. The loop at 303,312, equivalent to the catalytic loop termed `loop-6' in RuBisCO, is in a closed conformation in the E form of Bs-DK-MTP-1P enolase. The closed conformation appears to be stabilized by Pro312, which is conserved in the sequences of several RLPs (equivalent to Glu338 in RuBisCO). Based on these results, the characteristic structural features of DK-MTP-1P enolase are discussed. [source]


    Ecotype adaptation and acclimation of leaf traits to rainfall in 29 species of 16-year-old Eucalyptus at two common gardens

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
    C. R. WARREN
    Summary 1Relationships of leaf traits with rainfall at the place of origin of seed (RPO) are a function of acclimation and adaptation. To disentangle these effects we studied 29 species of 16-year-old Eucalyptus at a productive and an unproductive common garden (mean annual increments of above-ground stem volume = 21 ± 11 and 8 ± 5 m3 ha,1 years,1, respectively). We tested three hypotheses: (i) leaf traits vary between sites, but relationships among them do not; (ii) relationships of leaf traits with RPO do not vary between sites; and (iii) ecotypes originating from low-rainfall areas allocate a small fraction of nitrogen to thylakoid proteins and Rubisco, and have small SLA, small and narrow leaves, and large water-use efficiency (WUE). 2Eleven leaf traits (leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf width/length, specific leaf area, fresh weight/dry weight, N, chlorophyll a/b, carotenoids/chlorophyll, thylakoid N%, Rubisco N%, WUE derived from 13C content) were measured in 1-year-old sun leaves. 3Site had a large effect on not only the absolute values of leaf traits, but also relationships between pairs of traits. There were 20 significant correlations between pairs of traits. Three of the correlations had different slopes between sites, while a further nine had different intercepts. Hence the majority of significant correlations were not independent of site. 4Leaf area and leaf width/length were the only traits related to RPO. There was no evidence that N allocation to Rubisco or thylakoid proteins was related to RPO, or that WUE was greater in ecotypes from dry areas. 5For Eucalyptus, and perhaps other genera, physiological leaf traits may play a minor role in adaptation to water availability. There is large phenotypic plasticity in many leaf traits affecting not only the absolute values of traits, but also relationships among them. [source]


    Growth and physiological acclimation to temperature and inorganic carbon availability by two submerged aquatic macrophyte species, Callitriche cophocarpa and Elodea canadensis

    FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2000
    B. Olesen
    Abstract 1.,Interactive effects of temperature and inorganic carbon availability on photosynthetic acclimation and growth of two submerged macrophyte species, Elodea canadensis and Callitriche cophocarpa, were examined to test the hypotheses that: (1) effects of temperature on growth rate and photosynthetic acclimation are suppressed under low inorganic carbon availability; (2) the plants compensate for the reduction in activity of individual enzymes at lower temperatures by increasing the activity per unit plant mass, here exemplified by Rubisco. The experiments were performed in the laboratory where plants were grown in a factorial combination of three temperatures (7,25 °C) and three inorganic carbon regimes. 2.,The relative growth rate of both species was strongly affected by growth conditions and increased by up to 4·5 times with increased temperature and inorganic carbon availability. The sensitivity to inorganic carbon was greatest at high temperature and the sensitivity to temperature greatest at high carbon concentrations. 3.,Photosynthetic acclimation occurred in response to growth conditions for both species. The affinity for inorganic carbon and the photosynthetic capacity, both measured at 15 °C, increased with reduced inorganic carbon availability during growth and were greater at warmer than at cooler growth temperature. The acclimative change in photosynthesis was related to the extent of temperature and inorganic carbon stress. Using data for Elodea, a negative relationship between degree of temperature stress and photosynthetic performance was found. In relation to inorganic carbon, a linear increase in CO2 affinity and photosynthetic capacity was found with increased inorganic carbon stress during growth. 4.,The total Rubisco activity declined with increased inorganic carbon availability during growth and with enhanced growth temperature. In addition, the activation state of Rubisco was higher at cooler than at warmer temperatures for Callitriche. This suggests that low-temperature grown plants compensate for the temperature-dependent reduction in activity of the individual Rubisco molecules by enhancing resource allocations towards Rubisco. [source]


    The age of Rubisco: the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis

    GEOBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2007
    E. G. NISBET
    ABSTRACT The evolutionary history of oxygenesis is controversial. Form I of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) in oxygen-tolerant organisms both enables them to carry out oxygenic extraction of carbon from air and enables the competitive process of photorespiration. Carbon isotopic evidence is presented from ~2.9 Ga stromatolites from Steep Rock, Ontario, Canada, ~2.9 Ga stromatolites from Mushandike, Zimbabwe, and ~2.7 Ga stromatolites in the Belingwe belt, Zimbabwe. The data imply that in all three localities the reef-building autotrophs included organisms using Form I Rubisco. This inference, though not conclusive, is supported by other geochemical evidence that these stromatolites formed in oxic conditions. Collectively, the implication is that oxygenic photosynthesizers first appeared ~2.9 Ga ago, and were abundant 2.7,2.65 Ga ago. Rubisco specificity (its preference for CO2 over O2) and compensation constraints (the limits on carbon fixation) may explain the paradox that despite the inferred evolution of oxygenesis 2.9 Ga ago, the Late Archaean air was anoxic. The atmospheric CO2:O2 ratio, and hence greenhouse warming, may reflect Form I Rubisco's specificity for CO2 over O2. The system may be bistable under the warming Sun, with liquid oceans occurring in either anoxic (H2O with abundant CH4 plus CO2) or oxic (H2O with more abundant CO2, but little CH4) greenhouse states. Transition between the two states would involve catastrophic remaking of the biosphere. Build-up of a very high atmospheric inventory of CO2 in the 2.3 Ga glaciation may have allowed the atmosphere to move up the CO2 compensation line to reach stability in an oxygen-rich system. Since then, Form I Rubisco specificity and consequent compensation limits may have maintained the long-term atmospheric disproportion between O2 and CO2, which is now close to both CO2 and O2 compensation barriers. [source]


    Ozone exposure over two growing seasons alters root-to-shoot ratio and chemical composition of birch (Betula pendula Roth)

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 10 2003
    K. Yamaji
    Abstract Physiological and chemical responses of 17 birch (Betula pendula Roth) clones to 1.5,1.7 × ambient ozone were studied in an open-field experiment over two growing seasons. The saplings were studied for growth, foliar visible injuries, net photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and chlorophyll, carotenoid, Rubisco, total soluble protein, macronutrient and phenolic concentrations in leaves. Elevated ozone resulted in growth enhancement, changes in shoot-to-root (s/r) ratio, visible foliar injuries, reduced stomatal conductance, lower late-season net photosynthesis, foliar nutrient imbalance, changes in phenolic composition, and reductions in pigment, Rubisco and soluble protein contents indicating accelerated leaf senescence. Majority of clones responded to ozone by changing C allocation towards roots, by stomatal closure (reduced ozone uptake), and by investment in low-cost foliar antioxidants to avoid and tolerate ozone stress. A third of clones, showing increased s/r ratio, relied on inducible efficient high-cost antioxidants, and enhanced leaf production to compensate ozone-caused decline in leaf-level net photosynthesis. However, the best ozone tolerance was found in two s/r ratio-unaffected clones showing a high constitutive amount of total phenolics, investment in low-cost antioxidants and N distribution to leaves, and lower stomatal conductance under ozone stress. The results highlight the importance of phenolic compounds in ozone defence mechanisms in the birch population. Depending on the genotype, ozone detoxification was improved by an increase in either efficient high-cost or less efficient low-cost antioxidative phenolics, with close connections to whole-plant physiology. [source]


    Photosynthetic responses of Mojave Desert shrubs to free air CO2 enrichment are greatest during wet years

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003
    Elke Naumburg
    Abstract It has been suggested that desert vegetation will show the strongest response to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide due to strong water limitations in these systems that may be ameliorated by both photosynthetic enhancements and reductions in stomatal conductance. Here, we report the long-term effect of 55 Pa atmospheric CO2 on photosynthesis and stomatal conductance for three Mojave Desert shrubs of differing leaf phenology (Ambrosia dumosa,drought-deciduous, Krameria erecta,winter-deciduous, Larrea tridentata,evergreen). The shrubs were growing in an undisturbed ecosystem fumigated using FACE technology and were measured over a four-year period that included both above and below-average precipitation. Daily integrated photosynthesis (Aday) was significantly enhanced by elevated CO2 for all three species, although Krameria erecta showed the greatest enhancements (63% vs. 32% for the other species) enhancements were constant throughout the entire measurement period. Only one species, Larrea tridentata, decreased stomatal conductance by 25,50% in response to elevated CO2, and then only at the onset of the summer dry season and following late summer convective precipitation. Similarly, reductions in the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco were limited to Larrea during spring. These results suggest that the elevated CO2 response of desert vegetation is a function of complex interactions between species functional types and prevailing environmental conditions. Elevated CO2 did not extend the active growing season into the summer dry season because of overall negligible stomatal conductance responses that did not result in significant water conservation. Overall, we expect the greatest response of desert vegetation during years with above-average precipitation when the active growing season is not limited to ,2 months and, consequently, the effects of increased photosynthesis can accumulate over a biologically significant time period. [source]


    Growth, photosynthetic properties and Rubisco activities and amounts of marine macroalgae grown under current and elevated seawater CO2 concentrations

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2002
    Alvaro Israel
    Abstract Growth rates, photosynthetic responses and the activity, amount and CO2 affinity of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) were determined for common marine macroalgae grown in seawater (containing 14.5 ± 2.1 µM CO2) or CO2 -enriched seawater (averaging 52.8 ± 19.2 µM CO2). The algae were grown in 40 L fiberglass tanks (outdoor) for 4,15 weeks and in a field experimental setup for 5 days. Growth rates of the species studied (representing the three major divisions, i.e. Chlorophyta, Rhodophyta and Phaeophyta) were generally not significantly affected by the increased CO2 concentrations in the seawater medium. Rubisco characteristics of algae cultivated in CO2 -enriched seawater were similar to those of algae grown in nonenriched seawater. The lack of response of photosynthetic traits in these aquatic plants is likely to be because of the presence of CO2 concentrating mechanisms (CCMs) which rely on HCO3, utilization, the inorganic carbon (Ci) form that dominates the total Ci pool available in seawater. Significant changes on the productivity of these particular marine algae species would not be anticipated when facing future increasing atmospheric CO2 levels. [source]


    Acclimation of photosynthesis and respiration to elevated atmospheric CO2 in two Scrub Oaks

    GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2002
    Graham J. Hymus
    Abstract For two species of oak, we determined whether increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration (Ca) would decrease leaf mitochondrial respiration (R) directly, or indirectly owing to their growth in elevated Ca, or both. In particular, we tested whether acclimatory decreases in leaf-Rubisco content in elevated Ca would decrease R associated with its maintenance. This hypothesis was tested in summer 2000 on sun and shade leaves of Quercus myrtifolia Willd. and Quercus geminata Small. We also measured R on five occasions between summer 1999 and 2000 on leaves of Q. myrtifolia. The oaks were grown in the field for 4 years, in either current ambient or elevated (current ambient + 350 µmol mol,1) Ca, in open-top chambers (OTCs). For Q. myrtifolia, an increase in Ca from 360 to 710 µmol mol,1 had no direct effect on R at any time during the year. In April 1999, R in young Q. myrtifolia leaves was significantly higher in elevated Ca,the only evidence for an indirect effect of growth in elevated Ca. Leaf R was significantly correlated with leaf nitrogen (N) concentration for the sun and shade leaves of both the species of oak. Acclimation of photosynthesis in elevated Ca significantly reduced maximum RuBP-saturated carboxylation capacity (Vc max) for both the sun and shade leaves of only Q. geminata. However, we estimated that only 11,12% of total leaf N was invested in Rubisco; consequently, acclimation in this plant resulted in a small effect on N and an insignificant effect on R. In this study measurements of respiration and photosynthesis were made on material removed from the field; this procedure had no effect on gas exchange properties. The findings of this study were applicable to R expressed either per unit leaf area or unit dry weight, and did not support the hypothesis that elevated Ca decreases R directly, or indirectly owing to acclimatory decreases in Rubisco content. [source]


    Assessment of Growth, Physiological and Biochemical Parameters and Activities of Antioxidative Enzymes in Salinity Tolerant and Sensitive Basmati Rice Varieties

    JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY AND CROP SCIENCE, Issue 6 2007
    M. P. Singh
    Abstract This investigation was undertaken to compare the level of salinity tolerance of the newly bred CSR-30 basmati rice variety with that of the salinity sensitive HBC-19 and Pokkali rice varieties. Twenty-one-day-old hydroponically raised seedlings at 6 and 12 dS m,1 were investigated for growth, photosynthetic rate, chlorophyll content, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) activity, relative water content (RWC), membrane stability index (MSI), lipid peroxidation, Na/K ratio and activities and gene expression of various isoforms of antioxidative enzymes. Salinity stress led to reduction in shoot length, leaf area, dry weight, RWC, MSI, rate of photosynthesis, chlorophyll content and Rubisco activity in all the three rice varieties. The levels of reduction in these parameters were maximal in HBC-19 followed by those in CSR-30 and Pokkali respectively. Cumulative superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased in Pokkali and CSR-30 in consonance with increase in salinity stress while it decreased in HBC-19. The Mn-SOD activity however, was enhanced in all three varieties in the presence of salinity stress while the activities of Fe-SOD, Cu/Zn-SOD and ascorbate peroxidase were decreased in HBC-19 when compared with CSR-30 and Pokkali. The activity of catalase (CAT) was higher in HBC-19 when compared with its activity in CSR-30 and Pokkali. The levels of gene expressions of the three isoforms of SOD ascertained by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction were not necessarily indicative of the activities of the corresponding enzymes. Thus, despite the maximal enhancement in gene expression of Fe-SOD in HBC-19 in response to salinity stress, the activity of this enzyme in HBC-19 remained low. Similarly, despite a marginal increase in gene expression of Cu-Zn SOD in the three varieties, its activity was significantly higher in Pokkali and CSR-30 when compared with that in HBC-19. A significant enhancement in the activity of CAT at 12 dS m,1 in HBC-19 when compared with CSR-30 and Pokkali might confer a degree of tolerance to H2O2 stress in this variety in the presence of higher levels of NaCl at the seedling stage. [source]


    Phylogeography of the marine macroalga Sargassum hemiphyllum (Phaeophyceae, Heterokontophyta) in northwestern Pacific

    MOLECULAR ECOLOGY, Issue 14 2010
    CHI CHIU CHEANG
    Abstract Sargassum hemiphyllum is commonly found in Japan and Korea, with a variety, var. chinense, that is found distributed in the southern Chinese coast. We previously reported distinct genetic differentiation between the two taxa based on the PCR-RFLP data of plastid RubiscoL-S spacer. The present study aims at elucidating the phylogeographic pattern of S. hemiphyllum based on more markers in the nuclear and extranuclear genomes, with a view to reveal the occurrence of hybridization. The two allopatrically distributed taxa were found to be genetically distinct in nuclear ITS2, plastidial Rubisco (Rbc) and mitochondrial TrnW_I (Trn) spacers. Their divergence was postulated to be attributable to the vicariant event which resulted from the isolation of the Sea of Japan during the late Miocene (6.58,11.25 Mya). Divergence within both S. hemiphyllum and the chinense variety was observed based on Trn spacer, while the divergence in S. hemiphyllum was further confirmed in Rbc spacer. This divergence appears to correspond to the separation of the Japanese populations between the Sea of Japan and the Pacific that occurred around 0.92,2.88 Mya (the early Pleistocene). The presence of an ITS2 clone resembling var. chinense sequences in a Japanese population of S. hemiphyllum (JpNS) raises the possibility of the introgression of var. chinense individuals into S. hemiphyllum population. Compared to that between S. hemiphyllum and the chinense variety, hybridization among the Japanese and Korean populations of S. hemiphyllum is highly probable as all these individuals share a pool of nuclear ITS2 sequences, possibly attributable to incomplete concerted evolution of ITS2. [source]


    Mechanism of low CO2 -induced activation of the cmp bicarbonate transporter operon by a LysR family protein in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC 7942

    MOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
    Takashi Nishimura
    Summary The cmp operon of the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus strain PCC 7942, encoding the subunits of the ABC-type bicarbonate transporter, is activated under CO2 -limited growth conditions in a manner dependent on CmpR, a LysR family transcription factor of CbbR subfamily. The 0.7 kb long regulatory region of the operon carried a single promoter, which responded to CO2 limitation. Using the luxAB reporter system, three cis -acting elements involved in the low-CO2 activation of transcription, each consisting of a pair of LysR recognition signatures overlapping at their ends, were identified in the regulatory region. CmpR was shown to bind to the regulatory region, yielding several DNA,protein complexes in gel shift assays. Addition of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (> 1 mM) or 2-phosphoglycolate (> 10 ,M) enhanced the binding of CmpR in a concentration-dependent manner, promoting formation of large DNA,protein complexes. Given the involvement of O2 in adaptive responses of cyanobacteria to low-CO2 conditions, our results suggest that 2-phosphoglycolate, which is produced by oxygenation by ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate under CO2 -limited conditions, acts as the co-inducer in the activation of the cmp operon by CmpR. [source]


    Adaxial/abaxial specification in the regulation of photosynthesis and stomatal opening with respect to light orientation and growth with CO2 enrichment in the C4 species Paspalum dilatatum

    NEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 1 2008
    Ana Sofia Soares
    Summary ,,Whole-plant morphology, leaf structure and composition were studied together with the effects of light orientation on the dorso-ventral regulation of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance in Paspalum dilatatum cv. Raki plants grown for 6 wk at either 350 or 700 µl l,1 CO2. ,,Plant biomass was doubled as a result of growth at high CO2 and the shoot:root ratio was decreased. Stomatal density was increased in the leaves of the high CO2 -grown plants, which had greater numbers of smaller stomata and more epidermal cells on the abaxial surface. ,,An asymmetric surface-specific regulation of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance was observed with respect to light orientation. This was not caused by dorso-ventral variations in leaf structure, the distribution of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) proteins or light absorptance, transmittance or reflectance. ,,Adaxial/abaxial specification in the regulation of photosynthesis results from differential sensitivity of stomatal opening to light orientation and fixed gradients of enzyme activation across the leaf. [source]


    Limitations to CO2 assimilation in ozone-exposed leaves of Plantago major

    NEW PHYTOLOGIST, Issue 1 2002
    Y. Zheng
    Summary ,,The potential limitations on net leaf carbon assimilation imposed by stomatal conductance, carboxylation velocity, capacity for ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration and triose phosphate ultilization rate were derived from steady-state gas exchange measurements made over the life-span of two leaves on plants of an ,O3 -sensitive' population of Plantago major grown at contrasting atmospheric O3 concentrations. ,,Parallel measurements of chlorophyll fluorescence were used to monitor changes in the quantum efficiency of PSII photochemistry, and in vitro measurements of Rubisco activity were made to corroborate modelled gas exchange data. ,,Data indicated that a loss of Rubisco was predominantly responsible for the decline in CO2 assimilation observed in O3 -treated leaves. The quantum efficiency of PSII was unchanged by O3 exposure. ,,Stomatal aperture declined in parallel with CO2 assimilation in O3 -treated plants, but this did not account for the observed decline in photosynthesis. Findings suggested that O3 -induced shifts in stomatal conductance result from ,direct' effects on the stomatal complex as well as ,indirect effects' mediated through changes in intercellular CO2 concentration. Leaves on the same plant exposed to equivalent levels of O3 showed striking differences in their response to the pollutant. [source]


    Phosphorus alleviates aluminum-induced inhibition of growth and photosynthesis in Citrus grandis seedlings

    PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 3 2009
    Huan-Xin Jiang
    Limited data are available on the effects of phosphorus (P) and aluminum (Al) interactions on Citrus spp. growth and photosynthesis. Sour pummelo (Citrus grandis) seedlings were irrigated for 18 weeks with nutrient solution containing 50, 100, 250 and 500 ,M KH2PO4× 0 and 1.2 mM AlCl3· 6H2O. Thereafter, P and Al in roots, stems and leaves, and leaf chlorophyll (Chl), CO2 assimilation, ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and Chl a fluorescence (OJIP) transients were measured. Under Al stress, P increased root Al, but decreased stem and leaf Al. Shoot growth is more sensitive to Al than root growth, CO2 assimilation and OJIP transients. Al decreased CO2 assimilation, Rubisco activity and Chl content, whereas it increased or did not affect intercellular CO2 concentration. Al affected CO2 assimilation more than Rubisco and Chl under 250 and 500 ,M P. Al decreased root, stem and leaf P, leaf maximum quantum yield of primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) and total performance index (PItot,abs), but increased leaf minimum fluorescence (Fo), relative variable fluorescence at K- and I-steps. P could alleviate Al-induced increase or decrease for all these parameters. We conclude that P alleviated Al-induced inhibition of growth and impairment of the whole photosynthetic electron transport chain from photosystem II (PSII) donor side up to the reduction of end acceptors of photosystem I (PSI), thus preventing photosynthesis inhibition through increasing Al immobilization in roots and P level in roots and shoots. Al-induced impairment of the whole photosynthetic electron transport chain may be associated with growth inhibition. [source]


    Response of superoxide dismutase isoenzymes in tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum) during thermo-acclimation of the photosynthetic apparatus

    PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 3 2007
    Daymi Camejo
    Seedlings of Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. var. Amalia were grown in a growth chamber under a photoperiod of 16 h light at 25°C and 8 h dark at 20°C. Five different treatments were applied to 30-day-old plants: Control treatment (plants maintained in the normal growth conditions throughout the experimental time), heat acclimation (plants exposed to 35°C for 4 h in dark for 3 days), dark treatment (plants exposed to 25°C for 4 h in dark for 3 days), heat acclimation plus heat shock (plants that previously received the heat acclimation treatment were exposed to 45°C air temperature for 3 h in the light) and dark treatment plus heat shock (plants that previously received the dark treatment were exposed to 45°C air temperature for 3 h in the light). Only the heat acclimation treatment increased the thermotolerance of the photosynthesis apparatus when the heat shock (45°C) was imposed. In these plants, the CO2 assimilation rate was not affected by heat shock and there was a slight and non-significant reduction in maximum carboxylation velocity of Rubisco (Vcmax) and maximum electron transport rate contributing to Rubisco regeneration (Jmax). However, the plants exposed to dark treatment plus heat shock showed a significant reduction in the CO2 assimilation rate and also in the values of Vcmax and Jmax. Chlorophyll fluorescence measurements showed increased thermotolerance in heat-acclimated plants. The values of maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (Fm) were not modified by heat shock in these plants, while in the dark-treated plants that received the heat shock, the Fm values were reduced, which provoked a significant reduction in the efficiency of photosystem II. A slight rise in the total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was found in the plants that had been subjected to both heat acclimation and heat shock, and this SOD activity was significantly higher than that found in the plants subjected to dark treatment plus heat shock. The activity of Fe-SOD isoenzymes was most enhanced in heat-acclimated plants but was unaltered in the plants that received the dark treatment. Total CuZn-SOD activity was reduced in all treatments. Darkness had an inhibitory effect on the Mn-SOD isoenzyme activity, which was compensated by the effect of a rise in air temperature to 35°C. These results show that the heat tolerance of tomatoplants may be increased by the previous imposition of a moderately high temperature and could be related with the thermal stability in the photochemical reactions and a readjustment of Vcmax and Jmax. Some isoenzymes, such as the Fe-SODs, may also play a role in the development of heat-shock tolerance through heat acclimation. In fact, the pattern found for these isoenzymes in heat-acclimated Amalia plants was similar to that previously described in other heat-tolerant tomato genotypes. [source]


    Effects of long-term chilling on growth and photosynthesis of the C4 gramineae Paspalum dilatatum

    PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 1 2003
    Ana M. Cavaco
    Dallis grass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) is a C4/NADP-ME gramineae, previously classified as semi-tolerant to cold, although a complete study on this species acclimation process under a long-term chilling and controlled environmental conditions has never been conducted. In the present work, plants of the variety Raki maintained at 25/18°C (day/night) (control) were compared with plants under a long-term chilling at 10/8°C (day/night) (cold-acclimated) in order to investigate how growth and carbon assimilation mechanisms are engaged in P. dilatatum chilling tolerance. Although whole plant mean relative growth rate (mean RGR) and leaf growth were significantly decreased by cold exposure, chilling did not impair plant development nor favour the investment in biomass below ground. Cold-acclimated P. dilatatum cv. Raki had a lower leaf chlorophyll content, but a higher photosynthetic capacity at optimal temperatures, its range being shifted to lower values. Associated with this higher capacity to use the reducing power in CO2 assimilation, cold-acclimated plants further showed a higher capacity to oxidize the primary stable quinone electron acceptor of PSII, QA. The activity and activation of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC; EC 4.1.1.31) and ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco; EC 4.1.1.39) were not significantly affected by the long-term chilling. Cold-acclimated P. dilatatum cv. Raki apparently showed a lower transfer of excitation energy from the light-harvesting complex of photosystem II to the respective reaction centre and enhancement of radiationless energy-dissipating mechanisms at suboptimal temperatures. Overall, long-term chilling resulted in several effects that comprise responses with an intermediate character of both chilling-tolerant and ,sensitive plants, which seem to play a significant role in the survival and acclimation of P. dilatatum cv. Raki at low temperature. [source]


    Purification and characterization of a subtilisin-like serine protease induced during the senescence of wheat leaves

    PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 4 2003
    Irma N. Roberts
    A senescence-specific protease accounting for almost 70% of the total peptide hydrolytic activity of protein extracts, was isolated from detached wheat leaves induced to senescence by incubation in the dark for 72 h. Purification to apparent homogeneity was performed by ammonium sulphate precipitation, ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography. The enzymatic activity was followed by its ability to hydrolyse the synthetic peptide Suc-AAPF-pNA. SDS/PAGE and gel filtration analysis indicated that the enzyme was a dimer composed of two identical subunits of 59 kDa. The apparent Km and Vmax for the peptide were 1.18 mm and 2.27 mmol pNA mg,1 h,1, respectively. The enzyme was active at pH values above 8.0 and remained active after heat treatment at 60°C for 10 min. It was inhibited by chymostatin, indicating that the enzyme possesses a chymotrypsin-like activity. Rubisco was readily hydrolysed by the purified protease. A sequenced internal fragment of 17 amino acids showed a high level of similarity (65,75% identity) with a highly conserved region of several plant subtilisin-like serine proteases. The absence of this enzymatic activity in fractionated extracts from non-senescent tissues suggests that it might play a role in the senescing process. [source]


    Photosynthesis and its related physiological variables in the leaves of Brassica genotypes as influenced by sulphur fertilization

    PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM, Issue 1 2000
    Altaf Ahmad
    In the present investigation, we examined the effect of sulphur fertilization on photosynthesis (Pn) and its related physiological variables in the leaves of field grown Brassica genotypes (Brassica juncea [L.] Czern. and Coss. cv. Pusa Jai Kisan and Brassica campestris L. cv. Pusa Gold) over a whole growing season. Sulphur fertilization significantly (P<0.05) increased the Pn rate on leaf area basis at all the growth stages over ,S treatment. The photosynthesis related variables such as soluble protein and Rubisco (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) protein were significantly higher in the leaves of plants grown with +S treatment, when compared to ,S treatment. Sulphur fertilization also improved the chlorophyll, N and S content in the leaves of +S treated plants over ,S treatment. Leaf-S content was linearly correlated with Pn rate, N-content and Rubisco protein in the leaves of both genotypes. An interesting relationship between N-content and Pn rate in the leaves of ,S and +S treated plants was observed. In ,S plants, the relationship between Pn rate and N-content per unit area of fully matured leaves became non-linear when leaf-N exceeded 1.5 g m,2, while in +S plants the same remained linear. Rubisco protein was linearly related to Pn rate and leaf-N content. The ratio of Rubisco/soluble protein was lesser in the leaves of ,S treated plants than +S treated plants. The effect of sulphur fertilization on Pn is discussed in relation to improved nitrogen utilization efficiency of the plants that leads to incorporation of reduced-N into the protein, especially in Rubisco protein rather than the non-protein compounds. [source]


    Needle traits of an evergreen, coniferous shrub growing at wind-exposed and protected sites in a mountain region: does Pinus pumila produce needles with greater mass per area under wind-stress conditions?

    PLANT BIOLOGY, Issue 2009
    S. Nagano
    Abstract Snow depth is one of the most important determinants of vegetation, especially in mountainous regions. In such regions, snow depth tends to be low at wind-exposed sites such as ridges, where stand height and productivity are limited by stressful environmental conditions during winter. Siberian dwarf pine (Pinus pumila Regel) is a dominant species in mountainous regions of Japan. We hypothesized that P. pumila produces needles with greater mass per area at wind-exposed sites than at wind-protected sites because it invests more nitrogen (N) in cell walls at the expense of N investment in the photosynthetic apparatus, resulting in increased photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE). Contrary to our hypothesis, plants at wind-exposed site invested less resources in needles, as exhibited by lower biomass, N, Rubisco and cell wall mass per unit area, and had higher photosynthetic capacity, higher PNUE and shorter needle life-span than plants at a wind-protected site. N partitioning was not significantly different between sites. These results suggest that P. pumila at wind-exposed sites produces needles at low cost with high productivity to compensate for a short leaf life-span, which may be imposed by wind stress when needles appear above the snow surface in winter. [source]


    Effects of growth and measurement light intensities on temperature dependence of CO2 assimilation rate in tobacco leaves

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2010
    WATARU YAMORI
    ABSTRACT Effects of growth light intensity on the temperature dependence of CO2 assimilation rate were studied in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) because growth light intensity alters nitrogen allocation between photosynthetic components. Leaf nitrogen, ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) and cytochrome f (cyt f) contents increased with increasing growth light intensity, but the cyt f/Rubisco ratio was unaltered. Mesophyll conductance to CO2 diffusion (gm) measured with carbon isotope discrimination increased with growth light intensity but not with measuring light intensity. The responses of CO2 assimilation rate to chloroplast CO2 concentration (Cc) at different light intensities and temperatures were used to estimate the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco (Vcmax) and the chloroplast electron transport rate (J). Maximum electron transport rates were linearly related to cyt f content at any given temperature (e.g. 115 and 179 µmol electrons mol,1 cyt f s,1 at 25 and 40 °C, respectively). The chloroplast CO2 concentration (Ctrans) at which the transition from RuBP carboxylation to RuBP regeneration limitation occurred increased with leaf temperature and was independent of growth light intensity, consistent with the constant ratio of cyt f/Rubisco. In tobacco, CO2 assimilation rate at 380 µmol mol,1 CO2 concentration and high light was limited by RuBP carboxylation above 32 °C and by RuBP regeneration below 32 °C. [source]


    Using combined measurements of gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence to estimate parameters of a biochemical C3 photosynthesis model: a critical appraisal and a new integrated approach applied to leaves in a wheat (Triticum aestivum) canopy

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2009
    XINYOU YIN
    ABSTRACT We appraised the literature and described an approach to estimate the parameters of the Farquhar, von Caemmerer and Berry model using measured CO2 assimilation rate (A) and photosystem II (PSII) electron transport efficiency (,2). The approach uses curve fitting to data of A and ,2 at various levels of incident irradiance (Iinc), intercellular CO2 (Ci) and O2. Estimated parameters include day respiration (Rd), conversion efficiency of Iinc into linear electron transport of PSII under limiting light [,2(LL)], electron transport capacity (Jmax), curvature factor (,) for the non-rectangular hyperbolic response of electron flux to Iinc, ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) CO2/O2 specificity (Sc/o), Rubisco carboxylation capacity (Vcmax), rate of triose phosphate utilization (Tp) and mesophyll conductance (gm). The method is used to analyse combined gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence measurements on leaves of various ages and positions in wheat plants grown at two nitrogen levels. Estimated Sc/o (25 °C) was 3.13 mbar µbar,1; Rd was lower than respiration in the dark; Jmax was lower and , was higher at 2% than at 21% O2; ,2(LL), Vcmax, Jmax and Tp correlated to leaf nitrogen content; and gm decreased with increasing Ci and with decreasing Iinc. Based on the parameter estimates, we surmised that there was some alternative electron transport. [source]


    Comparison of the A,Cc curve fitting methods in determining maximum ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase carboxylation rate, potential light saturated electron transport rate and leaf dark respiration

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2009
    ZEWEI MIAO
    ABSTRACT A review of the literature revealed that a variety of methods are currently used for fitting net assimilation of CO2,chloroplastic CO2 concentration (A,Cc) curves, resulting in considerable differences in estimating the A,Cc parameters [including maximum ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) carboxylation rate (Vcmax), potential light saturated electron transport rate (Jmax), leaf dark respiration in the light (Rd), mesophyll conductance (gm) and triose-phosphate utilization (TPU)]. In this paper, we examined the impacts of fitting methods on the estimations of Vcmax, Jmax, TPU, Rd and gm using grid search and non-linear fitting techniques. Our results suggested that the fitting methods significantly affected the predictions of Rubisco-limited (Ac), ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate-limited (Aj) and TPU -limited (Ap) curves and leaf photosynthesis velocities because of the inconsistent estimate of Vcmax, Jmax, TPU, Rd and gm, but they barely influenced the Jmax : Vcmax, Vcmax : Rd and Jmax : TPU ratio. In terms of fitting accuracy, simplicity of fitting procedures and sample size requirement, we recommend to combine grid search and non-linear techniques to directly and simultaneously fit Vcmax, Jmax, TPU, Rd and gm with the whole A,Cc curve in contrast to the conventional method, which fits Vcmax, Rd or gm first and then solves for Vcmax, Jmax and/or TPU with Vcmax, Rd and/or gm held as constants. [source]


    The temperature response of photosynthesis in tobacco with reduced amounts of Rubisco

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 4 2008
    DAVID S. KUBIEN
    ABSTRACT The reasons for the decline in net CO2 assimilation (A) above its thermal optimum are controversial. We tested the hypothesis that increasing the ratio of Rubisco activase to Rubisco catalytic site concentration would increase the activation state of Rubisco at high temperatures. We measured photosynthetic gas exchange, in vivo electron transport (J) and the activation state of Rubisco between 15 and 45 °C, at 38 and 76 Pa ambient CO2, in wild-type (WT) and anti- rbcS tobacco. The Rubisco content of the anti- rbcS lines was 30% (S7-1) or 6% (S7-2) of WT, but activase levels were the same in the three genotypes. Anti- rbcS plants had lower A than WT at all temperatures, but had a similar thermal optimum for photosynthesis as WT at both CO2 levels. In WT plants, Rubisco was fully activated at 32 °C, but the activation state declined to 64% at 42 °C. By contrast, the activation state of Rubisco was above 90% in the S7-1 line, between 15 and 42 °C. Both A and J declined about 20% from Topt to the highest measurement temperatures in WT and the S7-1 line, but this was fully reversed after a 20 min recovery at 35 °C. At 76 Pa CO2, predicted rates of RuBP regeneration-limited photosynthesis corresponded with measured A in WT tobacco at all temperatures, and in S7-1 tobacco above 40 °C. Our observations are consistent with the hypothesis that the high temperature decline in A in the WT is because of an RuBP regeneration limitation, rather than the capacity of Rubisco activase to maintain high Rubisco activation state. [source]


    The effect of temperature on C4 -type leaf photosynthesis parameters

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 9 2007
    RAIA-SILVIA MASSAD
    ABSTRACT C4 -type photosynthesis is known to vary with growth and measurement temperatures. In an attempt to quantify its variability with measurement temperature, the photosynthetic parameters , the maximum catalytic rate of the enzyme ribulose 1·5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) (Vcmax), the maximum catalytic rate of the enzyme phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) (Vpmax) and the maximum electron transport rate (Jmax) , were examined. Maize plants were grown in climatic-controlled phytotrons, and the curves of net photosynthesis (An) versus intercellular air space CO2 concentrations (Ci), and An versus photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) were determined over a temperature range of 15,40 °C. Values of Vcmax, Vpmax and Jmax were computed by inversion of the von Caemmerer & Furbank photosynthesis model. Values of Vpmax and Jmax obtained at 25 °C conform to values found in the literature. Parameters for an Arrhenius equation that best fits the calculated values of Vcmax, Vpmax and Jmax are then proposed. These parameters should be further tested with C4 plants for validation. Other model key parameters such as the mesophyll cell conductance to CO2 (gi), the bundle sheath cells conductance to CO2 (gbs) and Michaelis,Menten constants for CO2 and O2 (Kc, Kp and Ko) also vary with temperature and should be better parameterized. [source]


    The response of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to rising [CO2]: mechanisms and environmental interactions

    PLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 3 2007
    ELIZABETH A. AINSWORTH
    ABSTRACT This review summarizes current understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the response of photosynthesis and stomatal conductance to elevated carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]), and examines how downstream processes and environmental constraints modulate these two fundamental responses. The results from free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments were summarized via meta-analysis to quantify the mean responses of stomatal and photosynthetic parameters to elevated [CO2]. Elevation of [CO2] in FACE experiments reduced stomatal conductance by 22%, yet, this reduction was not associated with a similar change in stomatal density. Elevated [CO2] stimulated light-saturated photosynthesis (Asat) in C3 plants grown in FACE by an average of 31%. However, the magnitude of the increase in Asat varied with functional group and environment. Functional groups with ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco)-limited photosynthesis at elevated [CO2] had greater potential for increases in Asat than those where photosynthesis became ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RubP)-limited at elevated [CO2]. Both nitrogen supply and sink capacity modulated the response of photosynthesis to elevated [CO2] through their impact on the acclimation of carboxylation capacity. Increased understanding of the molecular and biochemical mechanisms by which plants respond to elevated [CO2], and the feedback of environmental factors upon them, will improve our ability to predict ecosystem responses to rising [CO2] and increase our potential to adapt crops and managed ecosystems to future atmospheric [CO2]. [source]