title: Glycine decarboxylase in C3, C4 and C3-C4 intermediate species.
abstract: The glycine decarboxylase complex (GDC) plays a central role in photorespiration. GDC is localized in the mitochondria and together with serine hydroxymethyltransferase it converts two molecules of glycine to one molecule of serine, CO2 and NH3. Overexpression of GDC subunits in the C3 species Arabidopsis thaliana can increase the metabolic flux through the photorespiratory pathway leading to enhanced photosynthetic efficiency and consequently to an enhanced biomass production of the transgenic plants. Changing the spatial expression patterns of GDC subunits was an important step during the evolution of C3-C4 intermediate and likely also C4 plants. Restriction of the GDC activity to the bundle sheath cells led to the establishment of a photorespiratory CO2 pump.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany; Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences 'From Complex Traits towards Synthetic Modules', 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Westhoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Universitaetsstrasse 1, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany. Electronic address: gowik@uni-duesseldorf.de.
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gowik
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D050841:Glycine Dehydrogenase (Decarboxylating) / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D050841:Glycine Dehydrogenase (Decarboxylating); D012696:Glycine Hydroxymethyltransferase