Raw data for: Dual-cycle CO2 fixation enhances growth and lipid synthesis in Arabidopsis thaliana

Carbon fixation through the Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle accounts for
the majority of CO2 uptake from the atmosphere. The CBB cycle generates C3
carbohydrates but is inefficient at producing acetyl-CoA (C2), which is
the universal precursor for synthesizing lipids. Here, we introduce in
Arabidopsis thaliana a new-to-nature CO2 fixing cycle, Malyl-coA-glycerate
(McG) cycle, which, together with the CBB cycle, forms a dual-cycle CO2
fixation system. This cycle can fix one additional carbon by
phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase and convert the photorespiration product,
glycolate, to acetyl-CoA. Plants with the McG cycle show enhanced protein
abundance in their photosystems and enhanced photosystem II efficiency.
McG plants had doubled CO2 fixation rates under atmospheric CO2,
increased lipid production, pronounced growth enhancement, and tripled the
seed yield.