title: Opinion: prospects for improving photosynthesis by altering leaf anatomy.
abstract: Engineering higher photosynthetic efficiency for greater crop yields has gained significant attention among plant biologists and breeders. To achieve this goal, manipulation of metabolic targets and canopy architectural features has been heavily emphasized. Given the substantial variations in leaf anatomical features among and within plant species, there is large potential to engineer leaf anatomy for improved photosynthetic efficiency. Here we review how different leaf anatomical features influence internal light distribution, delivery of CO(2) to Rubisco and water relations, and accordingly recommend features to engineer for increased leaf photosynthesis under different environments. More research is needed on (a) elucidating the genetic mechanisms controlling leaf anatomy, and (b) the development of a three dimensional biochemical and biophysical model of leaf photosynthesis, which can help pinpoint anatomical features required to gain a higher photosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: CAS Key Laboratory of Computational Biology, CAS-MPG (Chinese Academy of Sciences-German Max Planck Society) Partner Institute for Computational Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors.forename: Danny
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tholen
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boom
authors.forename: Xin-Guang
authors.initials: XG
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D010788:Photosynthesis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D010944:Plants / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase