Recent Posts

Single-nucleus sequencing reveals transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis

Sometime in the Cretaceous period (dinosaur time!), some monocots acquired a special pathway for carbon fixation, rendering them more efficient particularly in hot or dry environments. In most monocots, carbon is fixed by Rubisco in the mesophyll cells. In the innovative pathway, carbon fixation is split…

Compartmentation of photosynthesis gene expression in C4 maize depends on time of day

C4 photosynthesis involves the compartmentalization of the photosynthetic reactions across bundle sheath and mesophyll cells, which requires cell-specific gene expression; however, we do not fully understand how this occurs or how photoperiod impacts it. Here maize (Zea mays) was grown in constant light/temperature…

A three-way dance: NAD-ME switches subunits to perform different tasks

Hüdig and Tronconi et al. reveal that the housekeeping and C4-decarboxylase functions of a C4 enzyme are performed by isoforms that combine the same α subunit with different β subunits. Plant Cell https://doi.org/10.1093/plcell/koab265  Meike Hüdig, Molecular Plant Physiology, University of Bonn;…