C4 photosynthesis articles from across Nature Portfolio

Anderson, Mattoon et al. exposed the C₄ model plant green foxtail Setaria viridis to four-hour periods of high light or high temperature and observed transcriptomic, photosynthetic, and ultrastructural changes. Both treatments caused a comparable reduction in photosynthetic efficiency, but the authors identified important differences in key pathways and differential responses in the mesophyll and bundle sheath cells in response to these two treatments.

Florence Danila et al. perform mutation screens on Setaria viridis and identify an ABCG transporter gene which serves as a step in the suberin synthesis pathway. This study demonstrates that a functional suberin lamellae is essential for efficient C₄ photosynthesis in S. viridis.

Maria Ermakova et al. overexpress the Rieske FeS subunit of the Cytochrome b₆f in Setaria viridis to study the effects of removing electron transport limitations on C₄ photosynthesis. They show that light conversion efficiency and CO₂ assimilation rate of C₄ plants can be improved by increasing electron transport capacity.

In C₄ grasses, malate is decarboxylated by NADP-malic enzyme in bundle sheath cells. The structures of maize and sorghum varieties identify amino acids important for catalytic efficiency, tetrameric structure and pH-dependent inhibition malate