Re-engineering of carbon fixation in plants – challenges for plant biotechnology to improve yields in a high-CO2 world

Source and sink strength control plant carbon gain and yield. Source strength was recently engineered by modifying the large subunit of Rubisco, replacing the small subunit, and creating improved thermostable Rubisco activases. This technological breakthrough makes Rubisco engineering feasible at last. Enhancement of leaf transitory starch synthesis or induction of artificial sinks in leaves increased biomass and yield. Importantly, such approaches also had a positive feedback on source strength. In addition, novel targets for the improvement of carbon gain in crops have been identified that are especially relevant in the light of climate change.

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► Rubisco engineering became feasible by identification of single residues controlling enzymatic properties of the enzyme.
► Increases in leaf transitory sinks have been identified as positive regulators of source strength.
► Novel targets for biotechnology include components of light reactions and transcription factors.