Photosynthetic characteristics and effect of ATP in transgenic rice with phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase genes

Abstract

In the untransformed rice (WT) and transgenic rice with the PEPC and PPDK genes (CK) we determined activities of C4 photosynthetic enzymes, photosynthetic response to irradiance and temperature, the metabolic index of active oxygen, and the yield component factors. The activities of C4 photosynthetic enzymes in WT were very low, while those of corresponding enzymes in CK were highly observable. Moreover, after adenosine triphosphate (ATP) treatment, and under high irradiance and high temperature, the net photosynthetic rate of CK increased by 17 and 12 %, respectively, as compared to that achieved without ATP treatment. The resistance of CK against photo-oxidation was enhanced under these conditions, and CK yield increased by 15 %. ATP treatment enhanced the photosynthetic productivity of CK, thereby proving that ATP is the key factor in enhancing the photosynthetic capacity of transgenic rice with C4 gene. Our new technical approach can be used in breeding rice with high photosynthetic efficiency and high grain yield.