Eco Factor: New enzyme allows plants to thrive in dry and high CO2 conditions.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego have discovered plant enzymes that can allow plants to save water while consuming more CO2 from the atmosphere. The enzyme causes the plants to react to CO2 and change how they use their pores. By modifying the enzyme, these researchers believe they can come up with species that are more CO2 and drought-tolerant for which crops could be developed.
The research team has identified the pair of proteins that control a plant’s response to high CO2 and dry conditions. The proteins, enzymes called carbonic anhydrases, split CO2 into bicarbonate and protons. Plants with disabled generates for the enzymes fail to respond to high CO2 concentrations in the air and don’t save water.
However, by adding normal carbonic anhydrase genes, the plants were able to restore the CO2-triggered pore-tightening response in mutant plants. The results are promising as well, as the team believes that for every molecule of CO2 plants consumes, they lose 44% less water.
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