Does decrease in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase by antisense RbcS lead to a higher N-use efficiency of photosynthesis under conditions of saturating CO2 and light in rice plants?

• Published in: Plant physiology (Bethesda) Vol. 114; no. 2; pp. 483 - 491
• Main Authors: Makino, A. (Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.), Shimada, T, Takumi, S, Kaneko, K, Matsuoka, M, Shimamoto, K, Nakano, H, Miyao-Tokutomi, M, Mae, T, Yamamoto, N
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Rockville, MD American Society of Plant Physiologists 01.06.1997
• Subjects: ACTIVIDAD ENZIMATICA; ACTIVITE ENZYMATIQUE; ADN; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; ANTISENSE DNA; AZOTE; Biochemistry and Enzymology; Biological and medical sciences; CARBON DIOXIDE; CARBON DIOXIDE ENRICHMENT; CHEMICAL COMPOSITION; COMPOSICION QUIMICA; COMPOSITION CHIMIQUE; CONTENIDO DE NITROGENO; DIOXIDO DE CARBONO; DIOXYDE DE CARBONE; DNA; Economic plant physiology; EFFICACITE; EFFICIENCY; EFICACIA; ENZYMIC ACTIVITY; FEUILLE; FOTOSINTESIS; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; GENE; GENE TRANSFER; GENES; GENETIC TRANSFORMATION; HOJAS; Irradiance; KINETICS; LEAVES; LIGHT; LIGHT INTENSITY; LUMIERE; LUZ; Metabolism; NET ASSIMILATION RATE; Net assimilation, photosynthesis, carbon metabolism. Photorespiration, respiration, fermentation (anoxia, hypoxia); Nitrates; NITROGEN; NITROGEN CONTENT; NITROGENO; Nutrition. Photosynthesis. Respiration. Metabolism; ORYZA SATIVA; PHOTOSYNTHESE; PHOTOSYNTHESIS; Photosynthesis, respiration. Anabolism, catabolism; Plant physiology and development; PLANTAS TRANSGENICAS; PLANTE TRANSGENIQUE; Plants; PROTEINAS; PROTEINE; PROTEINS; RIBULOSE-BISPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE; Rice; RUBISCO; Sage; TEMPERATURA; TEMPERATURE; TENEUR EN AZOTE; TRANSFERENCIA DE GENES; TRANSFERT DE GENE; TRANSFORMACION GENETICA; TRANSFORMATION GENETIQUE; TRANSGENIC PLANTS; USES; USOS; UTILISATION; Monocotyledones; Enzyme; Nutrient recovery; Stomatal conductance; Carbon dioxide; Ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase; Lyases; Nitrogen; Cereal crop; Dose activity relation; Medium enrichment; Oryza sativa; Carbon-carbon lyases; Gramineae; Carboxy-lyases; Light; Angiospermae; Spermatophyta; Transgenic plant; Antisense DNA; Photosynthesis; Adaptation
• ISSN: 0032-0889; 1532-2548
• DOI: 10.1104/pp.114.2.483

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) plants with decreased ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) were obtained by transformation with the rice rbcS antisense gene under the control of the rice rbcS promoter. The primary transformants were screened for the Rubisco to leaf N ratio, and the transformant with 65% wild-type Rubisco was selected as a plant set with optimal Rubisco content at saturating CO2 partial pressures for photosynthesis under conditions of high irradiance and 25 degrees C. This optimal Rubisco content was estimated from the amounts and kinetic constants of Rubisco and the gas-exchange data. The R1 selfed progeny of the selected transformant were grown hydroponically with different N concentrations. Rubisco content in the R1 population was distributed into two groups: 56 plants had about 65% wild-type Rubisco, whereas 23 plants were very similar to the wild type. Although the plants with decreased Rubisco showed 20% lower rates of light-saturated photosynthesis in normal air (36 Pa CO2), they had 5 to 15% higher rates of photosynthesis in elevated partial pressures of CO2 (100-115 Pa CO2) than the wild-type plants for a given leaf N content. We conclude that the rice plants with 65% wild-type Rubisco show a higher N-use efficiency of photosynthesis under conditions of saturating CO2 and high irradiance