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The photorespiratory pathway generates malate that drives chemical reactions, including nitrate assimilation. The relative amounts of magnesium and manganese change the activity of key enzymes, possibly tuning the efficiency of these processes.
Photosynthesis is a fundamental life process but how photosystem II uses sunlight to split water remains unclear. Comparisons with enzymes from anaerobic prokaryotes suggest a possible mechanism for the photosynthetic O–O bond formation.