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C3 photosynthesis is the major of the three metabolic pathways for carbon fixation by plants. This process uses the enzyme RuBisCO in relatively inefficient conditions, to fix CO2 from the air and obtain the 3-carbon organic intermediate molecule 3-phosphoglycerate. C3 photosynthetic plants possess a specific leaf structure, and are not adapted to non-optimal conditions.
The detoxification pathway photorespiration has been thought to be photoprotective in dynamic light. The authors report that, instead, growth in dynamic light buffers plants against photorespiratory lesions by reducing photosynthesis and inducing metabolite re-routing.
Acclimation of tree photosynthesis to warming may be affected by elevated CO2. Here, the authors show that mature boreal conifers may be able to maintain leaf-level C uptake under warming and elevated CO2 even if optimum temperature of photosynthesis does not track increased temperature.
Siberian larch, a foundation species of the Eurasian boreal forest ecosystem, could experience lethally high temperatures 2–3 days a year in the south of its reach by 2050, according to a trait-based vulnerability assessment combining field ecophysiological data and CMIP6 Earth system models.
Photosynthesis declines at mild temperatures in terrestrial plants. Here, the authors use published data to show that decline in photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate with rising temperatures can be accounted for by Rubisco deactivation and declines in chloroplast electron transport rate.
An engineered increase in Rubisco production has increased photosynthetic capacity, rice yield and nitrogen use efficiency in an experimental paddy field. This demonstrates a key means to sustainably increasing yield and global food security.
