Researchers report that mutations that prolong the photocycle of phototropins, light-activated proteins that regulate photosynthetic efficiency, enhanced the light sensitivity of multiple phototropin-regulated processes in Arabidopsis thaliana, including chloroplast movement and leaf positioning, and led to increased biomass production under low-light conditions, suggesting a strategy for engineering photosynthetic efficiency to improve crop yields.
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Article #19-02915: "Engineering the phototropin photocycle improves photoreceptor performance and plant biomass production," by Jaynee E. Hart et al.
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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences