Division of Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Staudtstr. 5, 91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany.
Curr Opin Plant Biol. 2018 Jun;43:63-70. doi: 10.1016/j.pbi.2018.01.004. Epub 2018 Feb 9.
Whether plants are source or sink limited, that is, whether carbon assimilation or rather assimilate usage is ultimately responsible for crop yield, has been the subject of intense debate over several decades. Here we provide a short review of this debate before focusing on the use of transgenic intervention as a means to influence yield by modifying either source or sink function (or both). Given the relatively low success rates of strategies targeting single genes we highlight the success of multi-target transformations. The emergence of whole plant models and the potential impact that these will have in aiding yield improvement strategies are then discussed. We end by providing our perspective for next generation strategies for improving crop plants by means of manipulating their source-sink relations.
几十年来，植物是源限制还是汇限制，也就是说，是碳同化还是同化产物的利用最终决定作物产量，一直是激烈争论的主题。在关注通过改变源或汇功能（或两者兼而有之）来影响产量的转基因干预手段之前，本文先对这一争论进行简要综述。鉴于针对单个基因的策略相对较低的成功率，我们强调了多靶基因转化的成功。然后讨论了整体植物模型的出现及其在帮助提高产量策略方面可能产生的影响。最后，我们提供了通过操纵作物源库关系来改进作物的下一代策略的观点。
