Graduate School of Green-Bio Science, Kyung Hee University, Yongin 17104, Republic of Korea.
Life and Industry Convergence Research Institute, Pusan National University, Miryang 50463, Republic of Korea.
Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Aug 16;25(16):8933. doi: 10.3390/ijms25168933.
The global challenge of feeding an ever-increasing population to maintain food security requires novel approaches to increase crop yields. Photosynthesis, the fundamental energy and material basis for plant life on Earth, is highly responsive to environmental conditions. Evaluating the operational status of the photosynthetic mechanism provides insights into plants' capacity to adapt to their surroundings. Despite immense effort, photosynthesis still falls short of its theoretical maximum efficiency, indicating significant potential for improvement. In this review, we provide background information on the various genetic aspects of photosynthesis, explain its complexity, and survey relevant genetic engineering approaches employed to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis. We discuss the latest success stories of gene-editing tools like CRISPR-Cas9 and synthetic biology in achieving precise refinements in targeted photosynthesis pathways, such as the Calvin-Benson cycle, electron transport chain, and photorespiration. We also discuss the genetic markers crucial for mitigating the impact of rapidly changing environmental conditions, such as extreme temperatures or drought, on photosynthesis and growth. This review aims to pinpoint optimization opportunities for photosynthesis, discuss recent advancements, and address the challenges in improving this critical process, fostering a globally food-secure future through sustainable food crop production.
为了应对养活不断增长的人口以保障粮食安全的全球挑战，需要采用新方法来提高作物产量。光合作用是地球植物生命的基本能量和物质基础，对环境条件高度敏感。评估光合作用机制的运行状态可以深入了解植物适应周围环境的能力。尽管已经付出了巨大的努力，但光合作用仍未达到其理论最大效率，这表明仍有很大的改进空间。在这篇综述中，我们提供了光合作用的各种遗传方面的背景信息，解释了其复杂性，并调查了相关的遗传工程方法，这些方法被用于提高光合作用的效率。我们讨论了基因编辑工具（如 CRISPR-Cas9）和合成生物学在实现对光合作用途径（如卡尔文-本森循环、电子传递链和光呼吸）的精确改进方面的最新成功案例。我们还讨论了对缓解环境条件快速变化（如极端温度或干旱）对光合作用和生长的影响至关重要的遗传标记。本综述旨在指出光合作用的优化机会，讨论最新进展，并解决改进这一关键过程所面临的挑战，通过可持续的粮食作物生产来保障全球粮食安全的未来。
