TY - JOUR

T1 - Environmentally driven evolution of Rubisco and improved photosynthesis and growth within the C3 genus Limonium (Plumbaginaceae)

AU - Galmés, Jeroni

AU - Andralojc, P. John

AU - Kapralov, Maxim V.

AU - Flexas, Jaume

AU - Keys, Alfred J.

AU - Molins, Arántzazu

AU - Parry, Martin A J

AU - Conesa, Miquel À

PY - 2014/1/1

Y1 - 2014/1/1

N2 - Carbon assimilation by most ecosystems requires ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Its kinetic parameters are likely to have evolved in parallel with intracellular CO2 availability, with the result that faster forms of Rubisco occur in species with CO2-concentrating mechanisms. The Rubisco catalytic properties were determined and evaluated in relation to growth and carbon assimilation capacity in Mediterranean Limonium species, inhabiting severe stress environments. Significant kinetic differences between closely related species depended on two amino acid substitutions at functionally important residues 309 and 328 within the Rubisco large subunit. The Rubisco of species facing the largest CO2 restrictions during drought had relatively high affinity for CO2 (low Michaelis-Menten constant for CO2 (Kc)) but low maximum rates of carboxylation (kcatc ), while the opposite was found for species that maintained higher CO2 concentrations under similar conditions. Rubisco kinetic characteristics were correlated with photosynthetic rate in both well-watered and drought-stressed plants. Moreover, the drought-mediated decrease in plant biomass accumulation was consistently lower in species with higher Rubisco carboxylase catalytic efficiency (kcatc /Kc). The present study is the first demonstration of Rubisco adaptation during species diversification within closely related C3 plants, revealing a direct relationship between Rubisco molecular evolution and the biomass accumulation of closely related species subjected to unfavourable conditions.

AB - Carbon assimilation by most ecosystems requires ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). Its kinetic parameters are likely to have evolved in parallel with intracellular CO2 availability, with the result that faster forms of Rubisco occur in species with CO2-concentrating mechanisms. The Rubisco catalytic properties were determined and evaluated in relation to growth and carbon assimilation capacity in Mediterranean Limonium species, inhabiting severe stress environments. Significant kinetic differences between closely related species depended on two amino acid substitutions at functionally important residues 309 and 328 within the Rubisco large subunit. The Rubisco of species facing the largest CO2 restrictions during drought had relatively high affinity for CO2 (low Michaelis-Menten constant for CO2 (Kc)) but low maximum rates of carboxylation (kcatc ), while the opposite was found for species that maintained higher CO2 concentrations under similar conditions. Rubisco kinetic characteristics were correlated with photosynthetic rate in both well-watered and drought-stressed plants. Moreover, the drought-mediated decrease in plant biomass accumulation was consistently lower in species with higher Rubisco carboxylase catalytic efficiency (kcatc /Kc). The present study is the first demonstration of Rubisco adaptation during species diversification within closely related C3 plants, revealing a direct relationship between Rubisco molecular evolution and the biomass accumulation of closely related species subjected to unfavourable conditions.

KW - Carboxylase catalytic efficiency

KW - Drought

KW - Evolution

KW - Improved photosynthesis

KW - Limonium

KW - Mediterranean

KW - Rubisco

KW - Water stress

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84904024951&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/nph.12858

DO - 10.1111/nph.12858

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84904024951

VL - 203

SP - 989

EP - 999

JO - New Phytologist

JF - New Phytologist

SN - 0028-646X

IS - 3

ER -