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Title: The role of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in C4 photosynthesis

Journal Article · · Plant Biology
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1111/plb.12904· OSTI ID:1469788
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [1]
  1. Heinrich Heine Univ. Düsseldorf, (Germany)
  2. Univ. Bielefeld, Bielefeld (Germany)
  3. Nebion AG, Zürich (Switzerland)
  4. Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

Alanine and aspartate are essential transfer metabolites for C4 species of the NAD-malic enzyme and the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase subtype. To some degree both amino acids are also part of the metabolite shuttle in NADP-malic enzyme plants. In comparison with C3 species, the majority of C4 species are therefore characterised by enhanced expression and activity of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases in the photosynthetically active tissue. Both enzymes exist in multiple copies and have been found in different subcellular compartments. We tested whether different C4 species show preferential recruitment of enzymes from specific lineages and subcellular compartments. • Phylogenetic analysis of alanine and aspartate aminotransferases from a variety of monocot and eudicot C4 species and their C3 relatives was combined with subcellular prediction tools and the analysis of the according transcript amounts in mature leaves. • Recruitment of aspartate aminotransferases from a specific subcellular compartment was strongly connected to the biochemical subtype. Deviation from the main model was however observed in G. gynandra. The configuration of alanine aminotransferases was generally different in monocot and eudicot species. C4 monocots recruited an alanine aminotransferase from a specific cytosolic branch, but eudicots use alanine aminotransferase copies from a mitochondrial branch. Generally, plants display high plasticity in the setup of the C4 pathway. Beside the common models for the different C4 subtypes, individual solutions were found for plant groups or lineages.

Research Organization:
Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012704
OSTI ID:
1469788
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1472218; OSTI ID: 1569559
Report Number(s):
BNL-209034-2018-JAAM; BNL-212156-2019-JAAM
Journal Information:
Plant Biology, Vol. 21, Issue S1; ISSN 1435-8603
Publisher:
WileyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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A leaf‐level biochemical model simulating the introduction of C 2 and C 4 photosynthesis in C 3 rice: gains, losses and metabolite fluxes journal April 2019
Molecular mechanisms of plant acclimation to changing environments journal December 2018

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