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Light-dependent net CO-evolution by C3 and C4 plants

Planta volume 149, pages 59–63 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

Light-dependent CO-evolution by the green leaves of C3 and C4 plants depends on the CO2/O2 ratio in the ambient atmosphere. This and other physiological responses suggest that CO-evolution is a byproduct of photorespiration. At CO2/O2 ratios up to 10-3, the ratio of CO evolved: CO2 fixed in photosynthesis is significantly higher in C3 than in C4 plants. This discrepancy disappears when a correction is made for the CO2-concentrating mechanism in C4 photosynthesis, by which CO2-concentration at the site of ribulose-bis-phosphate carboxylase/oxygenase in the bundle sheaths is raised significantly as compared to the ambient atmosphere. Since the oxygenase function of this enzyme is responsible for glycolate synthesis, i.e., the substrate of photorespiration, this result seems to support the conclusion that CO-evolution is a consequence of photorespiration. CO-evolution may turn out to be a useful and rather straightforward indicator for photorespiration in ecophysiological studies.

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Abbreviations

CAM:

crassulacean acid metabolism

CO↑:

net CO-evolution

CO2↓:

net CO2-fixation

PEP-C:

phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

RubP-C:

ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

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Affiliations

  1. Institut für Botanik, Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstraße 3-5, D-6100, Darmstadt, Federal Republic of Germany

    U. Lüttge & K. Fischer

Authors
  1. U. Lüttge
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  2. K. Fischer
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Dedicated to Professor André Pirson on the occasion of his 70th birthday

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Lüttge, U., Fischer, K. Light-dependent net CO-evolution by C3 and C4 plants. Planta 149, 59–63 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386228

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00386228

Key words

  • Carbon monoxide
  • Crassulacean acid metabolism
  • Photosynthesis (C3, C4)
  • Photorespiration