Photosynthetic characteristics of an amphibious plant, Eleocharis vivipara: Expression of C(4) and C(3) modes in contrasting environments.

Eleocharis vivipara Link, a freshwater amphibious leafless plant belonging to the Cyperaceae can grow in both terrestrial and submersed aquatic conditions. Two forms of E. vivipara obtained from these contrasting environments were examined for the characteristics associated with C(4) and C(3) photosynthesis. In the terrestrial form (delta (13)C values = -13.5 to -15.4 per thousand, where per thousand is parts per thousand), the culms, which are photosynthetic organs, possess a Kranz-type anatomy typical of C(4) plants, and well-developed bundle-sheath cells contain numerous large chloroplasts. In the submersed form (delta (13)C value = -25.9 per thousand), the culms possess anatomical features characteristic of submersed aquatic plants, and the reduced bundle-sheath cells contain only a few small chloroplasts. (14)C pulse-(12)C chase experiments showed that the terrestrial form and the submersed form fix carbon by way of the C(4) pathway, with aspartate (40%) and malate (35%) as the main primary products, and by way of the C(3) pathway, with 3-phosphoglyceric acid (53%) and sugar phosphates (14%) as the main primary products, respectively. The terrestrial form showed photosynthetic enzyme activities typical of the NAD-malic enzyme-C(4) subtype, whereas the submersed form showed decreased activities of key C(4) enzymes and an increased ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.39) activity. These data suggest that this species can differentiate into the C(4) mode under terrestrial conditions and into the C(3) mode under submersed conditions.