Strategies for manipulating Rubisco and creating photorespiratory bypass to boost C 3 photosynthesis: Prospects on modern crop improvement.

Photosynthesis is a process that uses solar energy to fix CO 2 in the air and converts it into sugar, and ultimately powers almost all life activities on the earth. C 3 photosynthesis is the most common form of photosynthesis in crops. Current efforts of increasing crop yields in response to growing global food requirement are mostly focused on improving C 3 photosynthesis. In this review, we summarized the strategies of C 3 photosynthesis improvement in terms of Rubisco properties and photorespiratory limitation. Potential engineered targets include Rubisco subunits and their catalytic sites, Rubisco assembly chaperones, and Rubisco activase. In addition, we reviewed multiple photorespiratory bypasses built by strategies of synthetic biology to reduce the release of CO 2 and ammonia and minimize energy consumption by photorespiration. The potential strategies are suggested to enhance C 3 photosynthesis and boost crop production.