Photosynthetic carbon metabolism in Panicum milioides, a C3-C4 intermediate species: evidence for a limited C4 dicarboxylic acid pathway of photosynthesis.

Panicum milioides, a naturally occurring species with C4-like Kranz leaf anatomy, is intermediate between C3 and C4 plants with respect to photo-respiration and the associated oxygen inhibition of photosynthesis. This paper presents direct evidence for a limited degree of C4 photosynthesis in this C3-C4 intermediate species based on: (a) the appearance of 24% of the total 14C fixed following 4 s photosynthesis in 14CO2-air by excised leaves in malate and aspartate and the complete transfer of label from the C4 acids to Calvin cycle intermediates within a 15 s chase in 12CO2-air; (b) pyruvate- or alanine-enhanced light-dependent CO2 fixation and pyruvate stimulation ote- or alanine-enhanced light-dependent CO2 fixation and pyruvate stimulation of oxaloacetate- or 3-phosphoglycerate-dependent O2 evolution by illuminated mesophyll protoplasts, but not bundle sheath strands; and (c) NAD-malic enzyme-dependent decarboxylation of C4 acids at the C-4 carboxyl position, C4 acid-dependent O2 evolution, and 14CO2 donation from (4-14C)C4 acids to Calvin cycle intermediates during photosynthesis by bundle sheath strands, but not mesophyll protoplasts. However, P. milloides differs from C4 plants in that the activity of the C4 cycle enzymes is only 15 to 30% of a C4 Panicum species and the Calvin cycle and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase are present in both cell types. From these and related studies (Rathnam, C.K.M. and Chollet, R. (1979) Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 193, 346-354; (1978) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 85, 801-808) we conclude that reduced photorespiration in P. milioides is due to a limited degree of NAD-malic enzyme-type C4 photosynthesis permitting an increase in pCO2 at the site of bundle sheath, but not mesophyll, ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase.