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Occurrence of C3 and C4 photosynthesis in cotyledons and leaves of Salsola species (Chenopodiaceae)

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Abstract

Most species of the genus Salsola (Chenopodiaceae) that have been examined exhibit C4 photosynthesis in leaves. Four Salsola species from Central Asia were investigated in this study to determine the structural and functional relationships in photosynthesis of cotyledons compared to leaves, using anatomical (Kranz versus non-Kranz anatomy, chloroplast ultrastructure) and biochemical (activities of photosynthetic enzymes of the C3 and C4 pathways, 14C labeling of primary photosynthesis products and 13C/12C carbon isotope fractionation) criteria. The species included S. paulsenii from section Salsola, S. richteri from section Coccosalsola, S. laricina from section Caroxylon, and S. gemmascens from section Malpigipila. The results show that all four species have a C4 type of photosynthesis in leaves with a Salsoloid type Kranz anatomy, whereas both C3 and C4 types of photosynthesis were found in cotyledons. S. paulsenii and S. richteri have NADP- (NADP-ME) C4 type biochemistry with Salsoloid Kranz anatomy in both leaves and cotyledons. In S. laricina, both cotyledons and leaves have NAD-malic enzyme (NAD-ME) C4 type photosynthesis; however, while the leaves have Salsoloid type Kranz anatomy, cotyledons have Atriplicoid type Kranz anatomy. In S. gemmascens, cotyledons exhibit C3 type photosynthesis, while leaves perform NAD-ME type photosynthesis. Since the four species studied belong to different Salsola sections, this suggests that differences in photosynthetic types of leaves and cotyledons may be used as a basis or studies of the origin and evolution of C4 photosynthesis in the family Chenopodiaceae.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Physiology, Urals State University, Lenin Avenue 51, 620083, Ekaterinburg, Russia

    Vladimir I. Pyankov

  2. Anatomy and Morphology Department, Komarov Botanical Institute, RAS, Prof. Popov Street 2, 197376, St. Petersburg, Russia

    Elena V. Voznesenskaya

  3. Institute of Basic Biological Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142292, Puschino, Moscow Region, Russia

    Alexander N. Kuz'min

  4. School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, 99164-4236, USA

    Maurice S. B. Ku, Eric Ganko, Vincent R. Franceschi & Gerald E. Edwards

  5. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA

    Clanton C. Black Jr.

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  1. Vladimir I. Pyankov
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  2. Elena V. Voznesenskaya
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  3. Alexander N. Kuz'min
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  4. Maurice S. B. Ku
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  5. Eric Ganko
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  8. Gerald E. Edwards
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Correspondence to Vladimir I. Pyankov.

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Pyankov, V.I., Voznesenskaya, E.V., Kuz'min, A.N. et al. Occurrence of C3 and C4 photosynthesis in cotyledons and leaves of Salsola species (Chenopodiaceae). Photosynthesis Research 63, 69–84 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006377708156

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