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Scientists have identified a gene enhancer in a poplar species that could help some plants grow exponentially larger and produce more plant mass. They found this gene after
Scientists have identified a gene enhancer in a poplar species that could help some plants grow exponentially larger and produce more plant mass. They found this gene after examining trees growing in different environments and noticed large differences in their sprouting rates. The gene they named StrengtheningIt attracted attention due to its unusual origin and direct connection to denser growth and better use of sunlight. The gene can increase tree height by about 30 percent in the field and 200 percent in the greenhouse, pointing to a possible path to healthier, more productive plants.
The research was led in part by Stephen Long of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Jerry Tuscan of Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
“This discovery could be a game changer in terms of significantly increasing photosynthesis and plant performance,” explained Stephen Long.
They focused Populus trichocarpaAlso known as black cotton, grown from Baja California to northern Canada. This species is generally considered a promising candidate for the production of biofuel and other useful materials. This is where researchers found StrengtheningA chimeric gene resulting from the combination of several genetic fragments.
Strengthening It was originally developed as a combination of three separate genetic sequences. One comes from a bacterium that lives in the root zone of a tree, one comes from an ant associated with a fungus that infects the tree, and the third comes from a large protein subunit called Rubisco. Rubisco plays an important role in capturing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis. When the team encourages poplar to express more strongly StrengtheningThe results were impressive.
Trees showed 62% more Rubisco, nearly 25% more net leaf carbon uptake, as much as 37% more growth in field trials, 88% more trunk volume, and up to 200% more height under controlled greenhouse conditions. Testing the same gene ArabidopsisA small flowering plant, it increased its biomass and increased its seed yield by 50%.
“Extraordinary genes, e.g. Strengthening, are often overlooked as non-functional evolutionary artifacts that no longer affect plant processes. But here we proved the opposite,” explained ORNL’s Biruk Feyissa. “Our molecular and physiological tests confirmed that: Strengthening It improves photosynthesis, allowing plants to perform better in constant and variable light conditions.”
Both black cotton and Arabidopsis It belongs to a group known as C3 plants. This group includes well-known food crops such as soybeans, rice, wheat and oats. If Strengthening Since it works similarly in other facilities, farmers will be able to achieve higher yields without the need for additional land, water or fertilizer.
“Growing high-yield perennial bioenergy crops on marginal lands unsuitable for conventional agriculture could help us meet the growing demand for liquid biofuels in hard-to-electrify industries such as aviation,” Tuskan said.
Scientists are now trying to test these findings in different locations over a long period of time. test Strengthening they can see how well it holds up in different environments and what results it produces in the long term.
“This discovery opens a new way of thinking scientifically. We tend to think of photosynthesis as a process that is difficult to perfect,” Tuskan continued.
But in reality, the molecular machinery surrounding photosynthesis continued to evolve as plants adapted to their environment. In this case, the exchange of DNA with associated organisms fundamentally changed the biological process.
For many years, CBI scientists have studied poplars as a permanent source of plant material that does not compete directly with food crops. They conducted a genome-wide association study, collecting samples from approximately 1,500 wild trees and examining their genetic structure.
They identified more than 28 million single nucleotide polymorphisms to help identify genes associated with growth, carbon and nitrogen content, lignin, and more efficient water use. From there, they looked for genes involved in photosynthetic quenching, an important process in dealing with changes in sunlight.
CABBI scientists tested aspen in test gardens in Davis, California. Molecular analysis later showed that: Strengthening It is linked to genes that affect how plants manage energy flow under changing light conditions. The researchers used many state-of-the-art resources using large-scale scanning methods that allowed them to quickly and accurately measure physical properties.
In summary, this discovery shows how close teamwork between institutions can help identify beneficial genetic traits that would otherwise go unnoticed. With ongoing support from the Department of Energy’s Biological and Environmental Research Program, these centers will conduct potential research. Strengthening in a wide range of conditions and plant species.
It is of interest to see whether similar results emerge for other crops important to the economy and energy production. If the effort continues and sustainable success is achieved, Strengthening It may offer a simple way to improve plant growth. More productive, resource-efficient plants will help meet growing global food demand without straining existing farmland, which will literally change everything. The full text of the research was published in the journal Developmental Cell.
Source: Port Altele
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