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Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae and certain types of bacteria synthesise carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and typically water, using light as an energy source. The process can be broken down into two stages - the light and dark reactions. NADPH and ATP generated during the light reactions fuel the formation of carbohydrates in the dark reactions.
Installing algal pyrenoids or cyanobacterial carboxysomes into plants to enhance photosynthetic efficiency remains a formidable challenge. Here, the authors report the construction of CO2-fixing nanocompartments by encapsulating Rubisco using encapsulin from Quasibacillus thermotolerans.
Combining time-resolved IR spectroscopy, activation energy analyses, and computations, authors provide mechanistic insight into genetically altered reaction kinetics of light-driven oxygen evolution in photosystem II.
This study demonstrates the power of directed evolution to unlock latent functional potential in plant Rubisco. By identifying mutations that enhance CO2 fixation and solubility, it advances avenues for improving crop photosynthesis and productivity.
Barbara Demmig-Adams discusses a 1998 study that demonstrated in plants that carotenoids can remove dangerous excess energy from chlorophyll, and the implications of this work, including for research aimed at improving plant stress resilience.
Cryo-electron microscopy structures of four photosystem II (PSII) intermediate complexes associated with the protein TEF30 from the green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii reveal that TEF30 facilitates PSII core assembly and prevents premature association of peripheral antennae during PSII repair. Structural analysis suggests a gradual transition of PSII dimers with distinct assembly patterns during the maturation process.
Recent discoveries reveal how cyanobacteria naturally overcome photosynthetic limits, supporting proposals to improve use of the solar spectrum. These insights could guide efforts to engineer more efficient crops and biofuel-producing organisms.
The pyrenoid contains internal membrane structures that are required for efficient carbon fixation. The two proteins SAGA1 and MITH1 are necessary for the biogenesis of these membranes and the delivery of bicarbonate to the pyrenoid matrix.
By studying the structure and function of a protein from the green alga Chlorella that drives phase separation of Rubisco, we revealed the protein’s ability to interact with Rubiscos from plants. This overcomes a major challenge in adding pyrenoids, which are carbon-fixing superchargers, to crops.
