Abstract
In recent years, the atmospheric CO2 concentration has risen rapidly and the continuing rise in [CO2] is predicted to have diverse and dramatic effects on the productivity of agriculture and plant ecosystems. The CO2 signal transduction and sensing mechanisms in plants are not well understood as yet. No specific stomatal CO2 signal transduction mediating gene has been cloned or molecularly characterized to date. To define the genes that function in a CO2 signal transduction in guard cells, a genetic screen for Arabidopsis mutants was conducted by analyzing leaf temperature changes monitored by leaf thermography. In this screen, mutations that are altered in their ability to control stomatal movements in response to CO2 were isolated. Characterization of these mutants has begun to yield insight into the mechanisms by which response to CO2 are controlled. I will discuss the current status of functional analysis of the mutated genes and future prospects.
