The multifunctional face of plant carbonic anhydrase

Abstract

Although most studies on the ubiquitous enzyme carbonic anhydrase (CA) have indicated its significant role in plants to facilitate the diffusion of CO2 to the site of inorganic carbon fixation, it is becoming increasingly likely that carbonic anhydrase isoforms also have diverse unexplored functions in plant cells. This review lays emphasis on additional roles of CA associated with many physiological, biochemical and structural changes in plant metabolism. The presented findings have revealed essential functions of CA isoforms in plant adjustment to both abiotic and biotic agents and developmental stimuli. However, sometimes it is difficult to separate the non-photosynthetic from the photosynthetic-related role of CAs during post-stress impaired metabolism, and the preventive CA outcome might be due to the effect of these enzymes on improvement of photosynthetic capacity. Finally, taking into account the experimental evidence, the direct and indirect functional roles of CAs in mitigating negative effects of environmental conditions are presented.