Improving the thermal stability of Rubisco activase

The thermal sensitivity of the key photosynthetic enzyme Rubisco activase limits wheat photosynthesis at moderately high temperatures. Introduction of a more thermal tolerant form of Rubisco activase, such as that from cotton, into wheat is predicted to broaden the temperature range of optimal Rubisco activation and photosynthetic CO2 assimilation. Transgenic lines have been produced to express the cotton Rubisco activase in wheat and current efforts are characterizing the most promising lines for further studies of photosynthetic performance at moderately high temperatures. Joanna Scales, a BBSRC PhD student jointly supervised by Martin Parry, Christine Raines, and Mike Salvucci, generated the transformation constructs and will undertake the molecular and biochemical analysis of the transformant lines. It is predicted that the cotton Rubisco activase will confer superior thermal tolerance to wheat photosynthesis.