Plant Physiology 2-

Photosynthesis
 photosynthesis
• Photo means ‘light’ and synthesis means ‘to
make’
• Process in which plants convert carbon
dioxide and water into sugars using solar
energy
• Occurs in chloroplast
 Photosynthesis:

6 CO2 + 6 H2O C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2

carbon dioxide + water = sugar + oxygen

photosynthetic
products often
stored as starch
•Starch = glucose
polymer

Tracking atoms STARCH

Fig. 10.1
Fig. 10.2a
Fig. 10.2b
Fig. 10.2c
Fig. 10.4
Chlorophyll
•Absorbs red & blue light
•Reflects green light
Fig. 10.6
Fig. 10.8
Fig. 10.20
Fig. 10.17
 Rubisco
• Ribulose bisphosphate
carboxylase oxygenase
• (fixes CO2 & O2)
• Enzyme in Calvin
Cycle (1st step)
• Most abundant protein
on Earth
– Ca. 25% total leaf
protein
 Photorespiration
• When rubisco “fixes” O2, not CO2
• Lose 1/2 C as CO2; costs 2.5 extra ATP
• Take up O2
• Only occurs in light
• Occurs 1 out of 4 reactions under today’s
atmospheric [CO2]
• Rate increases with temperature
 Types of photosynthesis
• C3
– The majority of plants
• C4
– CO2 temporarily stored as 4-C organic acids resulting in more
more efficient C exchange rate
– Advantage in high light, high temperature, low CO 2
– Many grasses and crops (e.g., corn, sorghum, millet, sugar cane)
• CAM
– Stomata open during night
– Advantage in arid climates
– Many succulents (e.g., cacti, euphorbs, bromeliades, agaves)
Fig. 10.21
Fig. 10.22
Global Environmental Change &
Photosynthesis:
C3 vs. C4 vs. CAM
• Increasing CO2
• Increasing chronic and acute temperatures
• Increasing N (vs. decreasing C:N from
increasing CO2)
• Changes in water
 CO2 effects on photosynthesis
• C4 > C3 at low CO2
• But, C3 > C4 at high CO2
*At high CO2, C3 more efficient than C4 at all temps.
(photosynthesis only, not other processes)
 Photosynthetic N-use efficiency
• C4 plants need (have) less leaf N than C3
• Photosynthesis higher per unit N in C4
• Humans are increasing global N, which
benefits C3 more than C4
• Increasing CO2 decreases leaf N content,
more in C3 than C4
 Photosynthetic water-use
efficiency
• C4 plants use less water than C3
• (cause stomates open less)
• Water availability may increase or decrease
in the future.
 Predicting the future for plants
• How will increases in CO2, N, and chronic
and acute heat stress affect photosynthesis?
• Who will win or lose? C3? C4?
• How will pollution (eg, ozone) interact?
• Current research in my lab an example.
Elevated CO2 Hypothesis
•High CO2 effects
greater in C3 than C4
Increased and CAM species.
leaf C:N

•High CO2 effects

greater on induced than
basal thermotolerance.

Decreased
thermotolerance
Decreased Heat-shock
proteins (Hsps)
 no-pre-hs pre-hs
40

30

20
corn corn Heat stress decreased
10
Pn in all species
0
40 0 1 2 3

sorghum
4 5 0 1 2 3

sorghum
4 5
(not the result of
30

20 stomatal closure).
10
Pn

0
40
Elevated CO2 had
30

20
barley barley negative effects on
10

0
Pn of C4 species, and
40

30
wheat wheat positive effects on C3
20 species.
10

0 1 2 3 4 5 0 1 2 3 4 5
Pre-heat shock has a
Time (h) Time (h) positive effect on Pn.
700ppm CO2
370ppm CO2
 no-pre-hs pre-hs

0.6 corn corn

0.4 Heat shock

0.2
decreased Фet of all
0.0
0.6 0 1 2 3 sorghum
4 5 6 0 1 2 sorghum
3 4 5 6
C3 and C4 species
0.4

0.2
There was negative
CO2 effects on all
0.0
0.6

Barley Barley
et

0.4

0.2
species, except for
0.0
0.6 0.6
wheat
wheat wheat

There was positive

0.4 0.4
Y Data

0.2 0.2

0.0 0.0
Pre-HS effects on all
0.6 arabidopsis arabidopsis

0.4
species
0.2

0.0

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
time (h)
SoyFACE: CO2 & ozone
 0.8
photosynthetic electron transport control
heat-stressed

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
_______ _______ _______ _______
ambient elevated elevated elevated
CO2 & CO2 ozone CO2 &
ozone ozone