Maize GOLDEN2-LIKE genes enhance biomass and grain yields in rice by improving photosynthesis and reducing photoinhibition

Xia Li; Peng Wang; Jing Li; Shaobo Wei; Yanyan Yan; Jun Yang; Ming Zhao; Jane A Langdale; Wenbin Zhou

doi:10.1038/s42003-020-0887-3

Maize GOLDEN2-LIKE genes enhance biomass and grain yields in rice by improving photosynthesis and reducing photoinhibition

Commun Biol. 2020 Apr 1;3(1):151. doi: 10.1038/s42003-020-0887-3.

Authors

Xia Li^#¹, Peng Wang^#^{2

3}, Jing Li¹, Shaobo Wei¹, Yanyan Yan¹, Jun Yang⁴, Ming Zhao¹, Jane A Langdale², Wenbin Zhou⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, Beijing, China.
² Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3RB, UK.
³ CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Plant Sciences, Institute of Plant Physiology and Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Shanghai Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics and Resources, Shanghai Chenshan Plant Science Research Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, 201602, Shanghai, China.
⁵ Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 100081, Beijing, China. [email protected].

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Photosynthetic efficiency is a major target for improvement of crop yield potential under agricultural field conditions. Inefficiencies can occur in many steps of the photosynthetic process, from chloroplast biogenesis to functioning of the light harvesting and carbon fixation reactions. Nuclear-encoded GOLDEN2-LIKE (GLK) transcription factors regulate some of the earliest steps by activating target genes encoding chloroplast-localized and photosynthesis-related proteins. Here we show that constitutive expression of maize GLK genes in rice leads to enhanced levels of chlorophylls and pigment-protein antenna complexes, and that these increases lead to improved light harvesting efficiency via photosystem II in field-grown plants. Increased levels of xanthophylls further buffer the negative effects of photoinhibition under high or fluctuating light conditions by facilitating greater dissipation of excess absorbed energy as heat. Significantly, the enhanced photosynthetic capacity of field-grown transgenic plants resulted in increased carbohydrate levels and a 30-40% increase in both vegetative biomass and grain yield.

Publication types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomass
Carbohydrate Metabolism* / genetics
Carbohydrate Metabolism* / radiation effects
Chlorophyll / genetics
Chlorophyll / metabolism
Crops, Agricultural / genetics
Crops, Agricultural / growth & development
Crops, Agricultural / metabolism*
Crops, Agricultural / radiation effects
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
Light
Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / genetics
Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / metabolism
Oryza / genetics
Oryza / growth & development
Oryza / metabolism*
Photosynthesis* / genetics
Photosynthesis* / radiation effects
Photosystem II Protein Complex / genetics
Photosystem II Protein Complex / metabolism
Plant Proteins / genetics
Plant Proteins / metabolism*
Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
Plants, Genetically Modified / growth & development
Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism*
Plants, Genetically Modified / radiation effects
Seasons
Transcription Factors / genetics
Transcription Factors / metabolism*

Substances

GLK1 protein, Zea mays
Golden2 protein, Zea mays
Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes
Photosystem II Protein Complex
Plant Proteins
Transcription Factors
Chlorophyll