New knowledge about our Earth's most important biochemical reaction: A
step towards increasing CO2 uptake in plants
A group of proteins in plant cells plays a vastly more important role in regulation of photosynthesis than once thought

Date:
November 17, 2021
Source:
University of Copenhagen - Faculty of Science
Summary:
A group of proteins in plant cells plays a vastly more important
role in regulation of photosynthesis than once thought, according
to new research. The research is an important step towards fully
understanding photosynthesis regulation and increasing CO2 uptake
in plants to benefit the climate.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Imagine being able to grow plants that could absorb even more CO2
from Earth's atmosphere and thereby help solve the world's climate
problems. Humans have selected, bred and optimized plants to increase
food production and ensure for our survival for thousands of years.


==========================================================================
But the most important and fundamental function of life on Earth - - photosynthesis -- has not been relevant with regards to plant selection
or breeding until now, an age when greenhouse gas emissions from human activities threaten our planet. With new technologies at hand, scientists around the world are now working to understand the internal processes
of plants that drive photosynthesis.

In a new study published in the scientific journalPNAS, researchers from
the University of Copenhagen's Department of Plant and Environmental
Sciences have just discovered that a group of proteins in plant leaf
cells, called CURT1, plays a much more important role in photosynthesis
than once thought.

"We have discovered that CURT1 proteins control a plant's development
of green leaves already from the seed stage. Thus, the proteins have
a major influence on how effectively photosynthesis is established,"
explains Associate Professor Mathias Pribil, the study's lead author.

Proteins that kickstart photosynthesis CURT1 proteins were previously
believed to play a more modest role and only be present in fully-developed leaves. But using state-of-the-art Imaging techniques (photography and
computer equipment), the researchers zoomed 30,000x in on the growth of
a series of experimental thale cress (Arabidopsis) plants.

This allowed them to study the plants at a molecular level. The
researchers could see that CURT1 proteins were present from the earliest
stages of their plants' lives.



========================================================================== "Emerging from the soil is a critical moment for the plant, as it is
struck by sunlight and rapidly needs to get photosynthesis going to
survive. Here we can see that CURT1 proteins coordinate processes that
set photosynthesis in motion and allow the plant to survive, something
we didn't know before," explains Mathias Pribil.

Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts, 0.005 mm long elliptical
bodies in plant cells that are a kind of organ within the cells of a
plant leaf. Within each chloroplast, a membrane harbours proteins and
the other functions that make photosynthesis possible.

"CURT1 proteins control the shape of this membrane, making it easier for
other proteins in a plant cell to move around and perform important tasks surrounding photosynthesis, depending on how the environment around the
plant changes. This could be to repair light harvesting protein complexes
when the sunlight is intense or to turn up a chloroplast's ability to
harvest light energy when sunlight is weak," explains Pribil.

Improved CO2 uptake in the future The new finding provides deeper
insight into Earth's most important biochemical reaction. Indeed, without plants, neither animals nor humans would exist on our planet. Thus far,
the result only applies to the thale cress plant, but Pribil would be
"very surprised" if the importance of CURT1 proteins for photosynthesis
didn't extend to other plants as well.

"This is an important step on the way to understanding all of the
components that control photosynthesis. The question is whether we can
use this new knowledge to improve the CURT1 protein complex in plants in general, so as to optimize photosynthesis," says Mathias Pribil, who adds: "Much of our research revolves around making photosynthesis more efficient
so that plants can absorb more CO2. Just as we have selected and bred the
best crops throughout the history of agriculture, it is now about helping nature become the best possible CO2 absorber," says Mathias Pribil.

Photosynthesis Facts:
* Photosynthesis is one of the most important biological processes on
Earth, as it produces most of the oxygen in our atmosphere, upon
which nearly all life depends.

* Photosynthesis takes place in green plants, algae and some
bacteria, when
solar energy converts carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and
organic matter in the form of glucose.

* Glucose is then converted into nutrients and used by the plants
themselves and animals Source: Den Store Dansk
CURT1 protein facts:
* CURT1 is a protein group which coordinates structural processes
of the
internal chloroplast membrane that makes photosynthesis function
more efficiently.

* It was once thought that this protein group was only present
in plants
with mature leaves, and that the protein played a less important
role.

Scientists now know that the protein group is central to managing
photosynthesis.

* The protein group also helps plant leaves increase or decrease their
light-harvesting ability depending upon sunlight strength.

* Plants with a misbalanced CURT1 protein content -- whether too
many or
too few -- had a higher mortality rate and generally poorer growth.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Copenhagen_-_Faculty_of_Science. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Omar Sandoval-Iba'n~ez, Anurag Sharma, Michał Bykowski, Guillem
Borra`s-Gas, James B. Y. H. Behrendorff, Silas Mellor, Klaus
Qvortrup, Julian C. Verdonk, Ralph Bock, Łucja Kowalewska,
Mathias Pribil.

Curvature thylakoid 1 proteins modulate prolamellar body morphology
and promote organized thylakoid biogenesis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021; 118 (42):
e2113934118 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2113934118 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211117211506.htm

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