Chapter 18 Hurdles to Engineering Greater Photosynthetic Rates in Crop Plants: C4 Rice

摘要: It is now 20 years since a suggestion was first made of introducing C4 photosynthetic pathway into rice plants to increase productivity. With the amount arable land decreasing, human population increasing and productivity plateauing there an urgent need significantly One way by genetic manipulation. Over past decade, number attempts have been modify pathways present in C3 genes encoding enzymes associated with photosynthesis. These efforts increased expression specific such as pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase NADP-malic enzyme range plants, notably rice, tobacco, potato. Claims counter claims regarding success construct plant, but date, no functional has engineered species. Novel approaches are required introduce this may require change molecular architecture tissue (introduction Kranz anatomy), coordinated co-expression regulatory mechanisms transporters leaves.