Improving plant heat tolerance through modification of Rubisco activase in C₃ plants to secure crop yield and food security in a future warming world.

This article focuses on the role of Rubisco activase (Rca), a molecular chaperone essential for activating Rubisco, in improving plant heat tolerance to secure food production amid global warming. It summarizes recent findings showing that the heat sensitivity of Rca limits photosynthesis at high temperatures, and that introducing thermostable Rca isoforms—via gene editing or from heat-adapted species such as wild Oryza and C4 Zea mays—enhances Rubisco activation, photosynthesis, and plant growth under heat stress. The article also discusses the mechanistic basis of Rca function, the potential for developing a universal thermostable Rca through minimal genetic modifications, and the complexities of overexpressing Rca in crops. It concludes that improving Rca thermostability is a promising strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of rising temperatures on crop yields, though broader stress factors affecting agriculture must also be considered.