Physiological and biochemical aspects and molecular mechanisms of plant adaptation to the elevated concentration of atmospheric CO2

The review of publications concerning the impact of increasing CO2 concentration in the Earth’s atmosphere (Ca) on higher terrestrial plants. The physiological changes in plants induced by increasing Ca, including growth and biochemical composition, the characteristics of photosynthesis and respiration, as well as the molecular mechanisms of the regulation of the activity of most important biosynthetic enzymes at early and late stages of the exposure to elevated Ca are under consideration. Various concepts of metabolic regulation during acclimation to increasing CO2 concentration are critically reviewed. The pathways of possible involvement of carbonic anhydrase-mediated systems of CO2 transport and concentration during C3 photosynthesis of higher plants, the metabolic and signal mechanisms of photosynthesis inhibition by carbohydrates and the role of ethylene at elevated Ca are presented. The effect of elevated Ca on plant development and source-sink relations, as well as its interaction with other environmental factors, such as mineral, primarily nitrogen nutrition, light, temperature, and water regime, are discussed in with the context of potential forecasting of the consequences of increase in Ca and temperature for the activities of various higher plant forms in the rapidly changing climate.