Leaf Anatomy and Biochemistry Likely Help Maintain CO2 Concentrating Efficiency in C4 Plants

 C₄ plant is a plant in which the CO₂ is first fixed into a compound containing four carbon atoms before entering the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis. It is better adapted than a C₃ plant in an environment with high daytime temperatures, intense sunlight, drought, or nitrogen or CO₂ limitation. 

Biomass energy has a priority among renewable energy alternatives nowadays, against the background of critical energy crisis C₄ plants are preferred renewableenergyplants as they make lower emission than the fossils fuels between 40% – 80%, also because they have a relatively high photosynthesis capacity. 

Therefore, how to improve the vitality and biological yield of C₄ Bioenergy plants has become a hot topic for scientists around the world. 

A recent research by Jianying Ma from the Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborated with Dr. Asaph Cousinfrom Washington State University found that the observed changes in leaf anatomy and biochemistry likely help maintain the CO₂concentrating mechanism efficiency of C₄ plants. 

Most C₄ plants have a special leaf anatomy in which the vascular bundles are surrounded by bundle sheath cells. 

Many studies have described howgrowth conditions influence the efficiency of C₄photosynthesis. However, it remains unclear how changes in thebiochemical capacity versus leaf anatomy drives thisacclimation. 

MA and her teamtried to determine how growth light and nitrogen availabilityinfluence leaf anatomy, biochemistry and the efficiency ofthe CO₂concentrating mechanism. 

“The ability of C₄photosynthesis to acclimate to lowlight and limited available nitrogen is important forassessing the use of C₄grasses as feedstock for cellulosic biofuel programs”, said MA. 

The study showed that theefficiency of the CO₂concentrating mechanismin C₄ plant samples is robust under low-light and limited nitrogen growth conditions. This may be explained by the observed changes in leaf anatomy and biochemistry.