Oral Presentation International Plant Molecular Biology Conference 2024

Engineering novel CO2-fixing nanocages for enhanced photosynthesis (#502)

Davin S Wijaya 1 , Taylor N Szyszka 2 , Yu Heng Lau 2 , Timothy Rhodes 1 , Spencer M Whitney 1
  1. Plant Sciences Division - Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
  2. School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Photosynthesis in most plants and crops is often rate-limited by the slow carbon fixation capacity of Rubisco which also binds promiscuously with O2, leading to energy and fixed CO2 loss in photorespiration[1]. The adaptation of CO2-concentrating mechanism (CCM) allows many photosynthetic organisms to avoid the oxygenation reaction, a property which provides the opportunity to improved C3 crops yield by up to 60% by incorporating a CCM[2]. Integrating a CCM into a C3-plant has nevertheless faced substantial hurdles in the structural and genetic complexity of CCMs. Through a Synbio approach we are repurposing single gene bacterial protein nano-compartments[3] to encapsulate plant, bacterial, and algal Rubiscos along with supporting enzymes such as carbonic anhydrase and Rubisco activase[4]. This presentation will give an update on the current advances made on (1) engineering these CO2-fixing nanocages in Escherichia coli, (2) enhancing their carboxylation capacity, and (3) incorporating the system into plant chloroplasts.

  1. [1] Whitney SM, Houtz RL and Alonso H (2011) Advancing Our Understanding and Capacity to Engineer Nature’s CO2-Sequestering Enzyme, Rubisco. Plant Physiology. 155 (1), 27-35
  2. [2] Long SP, Burgess S and Causton I (2019) Redesigning crop photosynthesis. In: Zeigler RS, Sustaining Global Food Security: The Nexus of Science and Policy. 131-141
  3. [3] Szyszka TN, Adamson LSR and Lau YH (2022) Encapsulin Nanocompartments for Biomanufacturing Applications. In: Rehm BHA and Wibowo D, eds. Microbial Production of High-Value Products. 37, 309-333
  4. [4] Mackinder LCM, Meyer MT, Mettler-Altmann T, Chen VK, Mitchell MC, Caspari O, et al. (2016) A repeat protein links Rubisco to form the eukaryotic carbon-concentrating organelle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 113 (21), 5958-5963