Targeted knockdown of ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase in rice mesophyll cells

We generated antisense constructs targeting two of the five Rubisco small subunit genes (OsRBCS2 and 4) which account for between 30–40 % RBCS transcript abundance in leaf blades. The were driven by a maize phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) promoter known to have enriched expression mesophyll cells (MCs). In resulting lines leaf, protein content was reduced 30–50 CO2 assimilation rate limited under photorespiratory non-photorespiratory conditions. A relationship found. This associated with significant reduction dry biomass accumulation grain yield 37–70%. addition serving as resource reducing cell-preferential manner, these allow us characterize gene function isoform specific suppression on photosynthesis growth. Our results suggest that knockdown multiple is required completely reduce MCs.