Photosynthetic traits of Australian wild rice (Oryza australiensis) confer tolerance to extreme daytime temperatures

KEY MESSAGE: A wild relative of rice from the Australian savannah was compared with cultivated rice, revealing thermotolerance in growth and photosynthetic processes and a more robust carbon economy in extreme heat. ABSTRACT: Above ~ 32 °C, impaired photosynthesis compromises the productivity of rice. We compared leaf tissues from heat-tolerant wild rice (Oryza australiensis) with temperate-adapted O. sativa after sustained exposure to heat, as well as diurnal heat shock. Leaf elongation and shoot biomass in O. australiensis were unimpaired at 45 °C, and soluble sugar concentrations trebled during 10 h of a 45 °C shock treatment. By contrast, 45 °C slowed growth strongly in O. sativa. Chloroplastic CO(2) concentrations eliminated CO(2) supply to chloroplasts as the basis of differential heat tolerance. This directed our attention to carboxylation and the abundance of the heat-sensitive chaperone Rubisco activase (Rca) in each species. Surprisingly, O. australiensis leaves at 45 °C had 50% less Rca per unit Rubisco, even though CO(2) assimilation was faster than at 30 °C. By contrast, Rca per unit Rubisco doubled in O. sativa at 45 °C while CO(2) assimilation was slower, reflecting its inferior Rca thermostability. Plants grown at 45 °C were simultaneously exposed to 700 ppm CO(2) to enhance the CO(2) supply to Rubisco. Growth at 45 °C responded to CO(2) enrichment in O. australiensis but not O. sativa, reflecting more robust carboxylation capacity and thermal tolerance in the wild rice relative. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11103-021-01210-3.