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The photosynthetic capacity of leaves is determined by their content of nitrogen (N). Nitrogen involved in photosynthesis is divided between soluble proteins and thylakoid membrane proteins. In C4 plants, the photosynthetic apparatus is partitioned between two cell types: mesophyll cells and bundle sheath. The enzymes involved in the C4 carbon cycle and assimilation of nitrogen are localized in a cell-specific manner. Although intracellular distribution of enzymes of N and carbon assimilation is variable, little is known about the physiological consequences of this distribution caused by light changes. Light intensity and nitrogen concentration influence content of nitrates in leaves and can induce activity of the main enzymes involved in N metabolism, and changes that reduce the photosynthesis rate also reduce photosynthetic N use efficiency. In this review, we wish to highlight and discuss how/whether light intensity can improve photosynthesis in maize during nitrogen limitation. We described the general regulation of changes in the main photosynthetic and nitrogen metabolism enzymes, their quantity and localization, thylakoid protein abundance, intracellular transport of organic acids as well as specific features connected with C4 photosynthesis, and addressed the major open questions related to N metabolism and effects of light on photosynthesis in C4 plants.

We consider a lattice model for amphiphiles in a solvent with molecules chemically similar to one part of the amphiphilic molecule. The dependence of the interaction potential on orientation of the amphiphilic molecules is taken into account explicitly. The model is solved exactly in one dimension by the transfer-matrix method. In particular, pressure as a function of concentration, correlation function and specific heat are calculated. The model is compared with the recently introduced lattice model for colloidal self-assembly, where the particles interact with the isotropic short-range attraction and long-range repulsion (SALR) potential. Similarities between the amphiphilic and the colloidal self-assembly are highlighted.