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Adaptive signals in algal Rubisco reveal a history of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide.

ABSTRACT: Rubisco, the most abundant enzyme on the Earth and responsible for all photosynthetic carbon fixation, is often thought of as a highly conserved and sluggish enzyme. Yet, different algal Rubiscos demonstrate a range of kinetic properties hinting at a history of evolution and adaptation. Here, we show that algal Rubisco has indeed evolved adaptively during ancient and distinct geological periods. Using DNA sequences of extant marine algae of the red and Chromista lineage, we define positive selection within the large subunit of Rubisco, encoded by rbcL, to occur basal to the radiation of modern marine groups. This signal of positive selection appears to be responding to changing intracellular concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) triggered by physiological adaptations to declining atmospheric CO(2). Within the ecologically important Haptophyta (including coccolithophores) and Bacillariophyta (diatoms), positive selection occurred consistently during periods of falling Phanerozoic CO(2) and suggests emergence of carbon-concentrating mechanisms. During the Proterozoic, a strong signal of positive selection after secondary endosymbiosis occurs at the origin of the Chromista lineage (approx. 1.1 Ga), with further positive selection events until 0.41 Ga, implying a significant and continuous decrease in atmospheric CO(2) encompassing the Cryogenian Snowball Earth events. We surmise that positive selection in Rubisco has been caused by declines in atmospheric CO(2) and hence acts as a proxy for ancient atmospheric CO(2).

SUBMITTER: Young JN

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3248704 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Adaptive signals in algal Rubisco reveal a history of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Young J N JN Rickaby R E M RE Kapralov M V MV Filatov D A DA

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences 20120201 1588

Rubisco, the most abundant enzyme on the Earth and responsible for all photosynthetic carbon fixation, is often thought of as a highly conserved and sluggish enzyme. Yet, different algal Rubiscos demonstrate a range of kinetic properties hinting at a history of evolution and adaptation. Here, we show that algal Rubisco has indeed evolved adaptively during ancient and distinct geological periods. Using DNA sequences of extant marine algae of the red and Chromista lineage, we define positive selec ...[more]

PMID: 22232761

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Project description:Atmospheric CO2 concentrations can determine the number of stomata that form on plant leaves (Woodward & Kelly 1995 New Phyt 131: 311-327). The majority of species exhibit reduced stomatal densities at elevated CO2. However, not all plant species react in the same way to elevated CO2 levels and there is a spectrum of effects: Some species increase stomatal densities, some decrease stomatal densities, and some are unaffected. In addition to which, other environmental factors influence the number of stomata that a plant form. Light intensity has also been shown to affect stomatal numbers in various Arabidopsis ecotypes (Schluter et al. 2003 J Exp Bot 54 (383): 867-874; Lake et al. 2002 J Exp Bot 53 (367): 183-193), by increasing stomatal numbers with increasing light levels. There are many changes in gene expression under elevated CO2 conditions, so pinpointing specific genes involved in the stomatal response to CO2 is difficult. In addition, if there is crosstalk between the various signalling pathways affecting ultimate stomatal numbers this complicates further the task of finding genes specifically involved the stomatal response to CO2. Therefore we propose to look at the interaction of two known influences on stomatal numbers, light and CO2, on one specific ecotype, Col-0. We aim to test the hypothesis that light signals interact the CO2 signals that affect stomatal development. Arabidopsis thaliana Columbia-0 ecotype has previously been shown to decrease stomatal numbers in response to a doubling of ambient CO2 concentrations. Col-0 has also been shown to increase stomatal numbers in response to high light intensities. Therefore we propose to grow A. thaliana Col-0 at three light intensities (50 mmol m-2 s-1, 150 mmol m-2 s-1 and 250 mmol m-2 s-1), in both ambient and elevated (double ambient) atmospheric CO2 concentrations. By looking in more detail at how gene expression differs between plants grown at ambient and elevated CO2 at the same light intensities, and also how gene expression differs between plants grown at the same CO2 concentration but different light intensities, we aim to identify those genes involved in the stomatal developmental response to CO2 and whether genes involved in the light response can also be isolated. Experimenter name = Susannah Bird Experimenter phone = (0114) 222 4649 Experimenter address = Animal and Plant Science Department Experimenter address = Alfred Denny Building Experimenter address = Western Bank Experimenter address = Sheffield Experimenter zip/postal_code = S10 2TN Experimenter country = UK Keywords: growth_condition_design

Dataset Information

Adaptive signals in algal Rubisco reveal a history of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Publications

Adaptive signals in algal Rubisco reveal a history of ancient atmospheric carbon dioxide.

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