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Photosynthesis

Evolutionary options

Nature volume 415, pages 375–377 (2002)Cite this article

The discovery in tobacco and celery of components of the C4 type of photosynthesis presents a host of intriguing questions about when and how this pathway evolved in higher plants.

Higher plants can be divided into two groups — C3 and C4 — according to which biochemical route they use to produce their food from water and carbon dioxide (the numbers simply refer to carbon atoms in the initial photosynthetic product). Over 85% of higher plants use the C3 route1; the C4 pathway, which has evolved at least 30 times, seems to be a response to low levels of CO2 in the atmosphere1. These multiple origins suggest that the enzymatic and structural prerequisites of C4 metabolism were widespread, at least in the 18 extant plant families with C4 members. On page 451 of this issue2, Hibberd and Quick describe how they have identified cells in C3 plants that use part of the C4 pathway. In doing so, they provide clues to the structure, metabolism and function of C4 precursor structures.

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  1. Division of Environmental and Applied Biology, School of Life Sciences, Biological Sciences Institute, University of Dundee, Millers Wynd, DD1 4HN, Dundee, UK

    J. A. Raven

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  1. J. A. Raven
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Correspondence to J. A. Raven.

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Raven, J. Evolutionary options. Nature 415, 375–377 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/415375a

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/415375a

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