Point mutations that boost aromatic amino acid production and CO 2 assimilation in plants.

Aromatic compounds having unusual stability provide high-value chemicals and considerable promise for carbon storage. Terrestrial plants can convert atmospheric CO into diverse and abundant aromatic compounds. However, it is unclear how plants control the shikimate pathway that connects the photosynthetic carbon fixation with the biosynthesis of aromatic amino acids, the major precursors of plant aromatic natural products. This study identified () mutations that deregulate the first step in the plant shikimate pathway by alleviating multiple effector-mediated feedback regulation in . The mutant plants showed hyperaccumulation of aromatic amino acids accompanied by up to a 30% increase in net CO assimilation. The identified mutations can be used to enhance plant-based, sustainable conversion of atmospheric CO to high-energy and high-value aromatic compounds.