title: The role of proteins in C(3) plants prior to their recruitment into the C(4) pathway.
abstract: Our most productive crops and native vegetation use a modified version of photosynthesis known as the C(4) pathway. Leaves of C(4) crops have increased nitrogen and water use efficiencies compared with C(3) species. Although the modifications to leaves of C(4) plants are complex, their faster growth led to the proposal that C(4) photosynthesis should be installed in C(3) crops in order to increase yield potential. Typically, a limited set of proteins become restricted to mesophyll or bundle sheath cells, and this allows CO(2) to be concentrated around the primary carboxylase RuBisCO. The role that these proteins play in C(3) species prior to their recruitment into the C(4) pathway is addressed here. Understanding the role of these proteins in C(3) plants is likely to be of use in predicting how the metabolism of a C(3) leaf will alter as components of the C(4) pathway are introduced as part of efforts to install characteristics of C(4) photosynthesis in leaves of C(3) crops.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plant Sciences, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EA, UK.
authors.forename: Sylvain
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aubry
authors.forename: Naomi J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Julian M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hibberd
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases / Q000378:metabolism; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases / Q000378:metabolism; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000201:enzymology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D063245:Plant Development; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011772:Pyruvate, Orthophosphate Dikinase / Q000378:metabolism; D000637:Transaminases / Q000378:metabolism; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014867:Water; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase; D000637:Transaminases; D011772:Pyruvate, Orthophosphate Dikinase; D002262:Carboxy-Lyases; D002256:Carbonic Anhydrases; D009584:Nitrogen