Advances in understanding the cyanobacterial CO2-concentrating-mechanism (CCM): functional components, Ci transporters, diversity, genetic regulation and prospects for engineering into plants.

Cyanobacteria have evolved a significant environmental adaptation, known as a CO(2)-concentrating-mechanism (CCM), that vastly improves photosynthetic performance and survival under limiting CO(2) concentrations. The CCM functions to transport and accumulate inorganic carbon actively (Ci; HCO(3)(-), and CO(2)) within the cell where the Ci pool is utilized to provide elevated CO(2) concentrations around the primary CO(2)-fixing enzyme, ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco). In cyanobacteria, Rubisco is encapsulated in unique micro-compartments known as carboxysomes. Cyanobacteria can possess up to five distinct transport systems for Ci uptake. Through database analysis of some 33 complete genomic...

Categories: Publication; Types: Citation, Journal Citation; Tags: CO2-concentrating-mechanism, CO2-responsive genes, CO2-uptake systems, Carboxysomes, HCO3− transporters, All tags... Journal of Experimental Botany, cyanobacteria, genetic regulation, photosynthesis, Fewer tags