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Constitutive expression of a plant ferredoxin-like protein (pflp) enhances capacity of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in rice (Oryza sativa)

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Abstract

The plant ferredoxin-like protein (PFLP) gene, cloned from sweet peppers predicted as an electron carrier in photosynthesis, shows high homology to the Fd-I sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana, Lycopersicon esculentum, Oryza sativa and Spinacia oleracea. Most of pflp related studies focused on anti-pathogenic effects, while less understanding for the effects in photosynthesis with physiological aspects, such as photosynthesis rate, and levels of carbohydrate metabolites. This project focuses on the effects of pflp overexpression on photosynthesis by physiological evaluations of carbon assimilation with significant higher levels of carbohydrates with higher photosynthesis efficiency. In this report, two independent transgenic lines of rice plants (designated as pflp-1 and pflp-2) were generated from non-transgenic TNG67 rice plant (WT). Both transgenic pflp rice plants exhibited enhanced photosynthesis efficiency, and gas exchange rates of photosynthesis were 1.3- and 1.2-fold higher for pflp-1 and pflp-2 than WT respectively. Significantly higher electron transport rates of pflp rice plants were observed. Moreover, photosynthetic products, such as fructose, glucose, sucrose and starch contents of pflp transgenic lines were increased accordingly. Molecular evidences of carbohydrate metabolism related genes activities (osHXK5, osHXK6, osAGPL3, osAGPS2α, osSPS, ospFBPase, oscFBPase, and osSBPase) in transgenic lines were higher than those of WT. For performance of crop production, 1000-grain weight for pflp-1 and pflp-2 rice plants were 52.9 and 41.1 g that were both significantly higher than 31.6 g for WT, and panicles weights were 1.4- and 1.2-fold higher than WT. Panicle number, tiller number per plants for pflp rice plants were all significantly higher compared with those of WT where there was no significant difference observed between two pflp rice plants. Taken altogether; this study demonstrated that constitutive pflp expression can improve rice production by enhancing the capacity of photosynthetic carbon assimilation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research Grants to M.-J. Ger from the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC 98-2313-B-390 -002 -MY3).

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  1. Department of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Technology, Yuanpei University of Medical Technology, Hsinchu, 30015, Taiwan

    Hsiang Chang

  2. Department of Life Sciences, National Taitung University, Taitung, 95092, Taiwan

    Hsiang-En Huang

  3. Department of Life Sciences, National University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung, 81148, Taiwan

    Chin-Fu Cheng, Mei-Hsuan Ho & Mang-Jye Ger

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  1. Hsiang Chang
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Chang, H., Huang, HE., Cheng, CF. et al. Constitutive expression of a plant ferredoxin-like protein (pflp) enhances capacity of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in rice (Oryza sativa). Transgenic Res 26, 279–289 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-016-0005-y

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