Researchers report that mutations that prolong the photocycle of phototropins, light-activated proteins that regulate photosynthetic efficiency, enhanced the light sensitivity of multiple phototropin-regulated processes in Arabidopsis thaliana, including chloroplast movement and leaf positioning, and led to increased biomass production under low-light conditions, suggesting a strategy for engineering photosynthetic efficiency to improve crop yields.
###
Article #19-02915: "Engineering the phototropin photocycle improves photoreceptor performance and plant biomass production," by Jaynee E. Hart et al .
MEDIA CONTACT: John M. Christie, University of Glasgow, UNITED KINGDOM; tel: +44-141-3302392, +44 7873584469; e-mail: < john.christie@glasgow.ac.uk >
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences