Fecha de publicación: -- Fuente: PubMed "pollen" Plant Cell Environ. 2026 Sep 23. doi: 10.1111/pce.70919. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTRising atmospheric CO2 is a defining feature of climate change and profoundly influences plant growth and productivity. While the effects of elevated CO2 on photosynthesis and vegetative biomass have been extensively studied, its direct impact on male reproductive development remains poorly understood. Here, we show that elevated CO2 improves pollen vigour and performance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Through genetic and molecular analyses, we identify β-type carbonic anhydrase 2 (βCA2) as a pollen-enriched CO2 sensor required for this response. Loss of βCA2 abolishes the promoting effects of elevated CO2 on fertility, whereas βCA2 overexpression mimics the high-CO2 phenotype under ambient conditions. Further analyses revealed that βCA2 regulates downstream networks involved in vesicle trafficking and intracellular transport to promote pollen germination, alongside cellulose and pectin metabolism required for pollen intine remodelling. These findings suggest a potential link between βCA2-mediated CO2 perception, intracellular transport and pollen intine remodelling. Our results uncover a dynamic, pollen-specific CO2 response pathway that integrates intracellular transport with structural wall remodelling, providing new insights into how plants sustain male fertility under rising atmospheric CO2.PMID:42779223 | DOI:10.1111/pce.70919