Adaptations to photosynthesis

C4 PLANTS
• In the Calvin cycle, rubisco catalyses the
reaction between water and CO2 to form GP
• Oxygen is a competitive inhibitor of this
enzyme
• When rubisco reacts with oxygen, a
compound called glycolate is formed
• Plants have no use for this compound
• Once formed, the glycolate is broken down in a
series of reactions and CO2 is released
• Since the overall process requires light and
involves the uptake of oxygen and production of
CO2, it is called photorespiration
• Photorespiration is favoured by conditions of high
temps and high light intensities
• The process represents a waste of RuBP and
reduces rates of photosynthesis
• Tropical grasses such as maize, sugar cane and
sorghum have evolved a photosynthetic
method to avoid photorespiration
• The 1st product of photosynthesis in these
plants is a 4 carbon compound, hence they are
called C4 plants
Structure of C4 leaf
• In a C4 leaf, vascular bundles are surrounded
by bundle sheath cells
• The bundle sheath cells are in turn surrounded
by mesophyll cells that form a tight ring that
does not allow air to get to the bundle sheath
cells
Summary of C4 Photosynthesis
• Light dependent reactions occur in the mesophyll
cells as usual, forming ATP and NADPH
• The mesophyll cells absorb carbon dioxide which
then reacts with a compound called PEP (a 3 carbon
compound). The reaction occurs in the cytoplasm.
• *PEP= Phosphoenolpyruvate
• This reaction is catalysed by PEP carboxylase and the
product is a 4 carbon compound called oxaloacetate
• There is no rubisco in mesophyll cells

• PEP carboxylase does not react with oxygen so

there is no photorespiration in these plants
• The oxaloacetate is then converted to another 4
carbon compound called malate
• The malate is then passed on to the bundle sheath
cells via plasmodesmata
• CO2 is then removed from malate then rubisco
catalyses its reaction with RuBP as in C3
photosynthesis
• Enzymes in C4 plants have high optimum
temperatures which is an adaptation to growing in hot
climates
 Differences between mesophyll and bundle
sheath chloroplasts
Mesophyll chloroplast Bundle sheath chloroplast

Large grana, so plenty of ATP,NADPH & O2 No grana(or very few & small
generated

No Rubisco High conc. Of rubisco

Little starch Abundant starch grains