Abstract
SummaryThe intricate and interconnecting reactions of C3 photosynthesis are often limited by one of two fundamental processes: the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, or the diffusion of CO2 from the atmosphere through the stomata, and ultimately into the chloroplast. In this review, we explore how the contributions of stomatal morphology and distribution can affect photosynthesis, through changes in gaseous exchange. The factors driving this relationship are considered, and recent results from studies investigating the effects of stomatal shape, size, density and patterning on photosynthesis are discussed. We suggest that the interplay between stomatal gaseous exchange and photosynthesis is complex, and that a disconnect often exists between the rates of CO2 diffusion and photosynthetic carbon fixation. The mechanisms that allow for substantial reductions in maximum stomatal conductance without affecting photosynthesis are highly dependent on environmental factors, such as light intensity, and could be exploited to improve crop performance.
Highlights
Life on Earth depends on photosynthesis, the source of our food, oxygen and the overwhelming majority of our energy
This fundamental process is made possible in vascular land plants by the presence of stomata: microscopic pores in the epidermal leaf surfaces
CO2 diffuses across the plasma membrane, enters the cytosol, and diffuses through the chloroplast envelope and stroma, before reaching RuBisCO
Summary
The intricate and interconnecting reactions of C3 photosynthesis are often limited by one of two fundamental processes: the conversion of solar energy into chemical energy, or the diffusion of CO2 from the atmosphere through the stomata, and into the chloroplast. We explore how the contributions of stomatal morphology and distribution can affect photosynthesis, through changes in gaseous exchange. The factors driving this relationship are considered, and recent results from studies investigating the effects of stomatal shape, size, density and patterning on photosynthesis are discussed. We suggest that the interplay between stomatal gaseous exchange and photosynthesis is complex, and that a disconnect often exists between the rates of CO2 diffusion and photosynthetic carbon fixation. The mechanisms that allow for substantial reductions in maximum stomatal conductance without affecting photosynthesis are highly dependent on environmental factors, such as light intensity, and could be exploited to improve crop performance
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