Organelle-to-nucleus DNA transfer is an ongoing process playing an important role in the evolution of eukaryotic life.
Here, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of non-photochemical quenching parameters in 743 Populus trichocarpa accessions identified a nuclear-encoded genomic region associated with variation in photosynthesis under fluctuating light. The identified gene, BOOSTER (BSTR), comprises three exons, two with apparent endophytic origin and the third containing a large fragment of plastid-encoded Rubisco large subunit. Higher expression of BSTR facilitated anterograde signaling between nucleus and plastid, which corresponded to enhanced expression of Rubisco, increased photosynthesis, and up to 35% greater plant height and 88% biomass in poplar accessions under field conditions. Overexpression of BSTR in Populus tremula × P. alba achieved up to a 200% in plant height.
Similarly, Arabidopsis plants heterologously expressing BSTR gained up to 200% in biomass and up to 50% increase in seed.
Biruk A. Feyissa, Elsa M. de Becker, Coralie E. Salesse-Smith, Jin Zhang, Timothy B. Yates, Meng Xie, Kuntal De, Dhananjay Gotarkar, Margot S.S. Chen, Sara S. Jawdy, Dana L. Carper, Kerrie Barry, Jeremy Schmutz, David J. Weston, Paul E. Abraham, Chung-Jui Tsai, Jennifer L. Morrell-Falvey, Gail Taylor, Jin-Gui Chen, Gerald A. Tuskan, Stephen P. Long, Steven J. Burgess, Wellington Muchero, An orphan gene BOOSTER enhances photosynthetic efficiency and plant productivity, Developmental Cell, 2024, ISSN 1534-5807, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.devcel.2024.11.002
Source: Science Direct