The C4 plant lineages of planet Earth

Sage, Rowan F.; Christin, Pascal‐Antoine; Edwards, Erika J.

doi:10.1093/jxb/err048

Cited by 534 publications

(517 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Recently, in a benchmark study, Furumoto et al (2011) characterized the Na + -pyruvate cotransport mechanism at the molecular level, by identification of the BASS2 gene in Flaveria and Cleome, and showing the protein's localization to the chloroplast envelope and the facilitation of pyruvate influx. They showed widespread distribution of the gene across various plant groups, but also its absence, at the protein expression level, in corn, in agreement with the earlier physiological observations, and in keeping with the great diversity known to exist among C 4 species (Weber and von Caemmerer 2010), and the multiple evolutionary origins of the trait (Langdale 2011;Sage et al 2011;Williams et al 2012). However, there now appears little doubt that the mechanism of Na + -dependent pyruvate transport is central to the Na + requirement in many C 4 species.…”

Section: Sodium As a Nutrientsupporting

confidence: 88%

Sodium as nutrient and toxicant

et al. 2013

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Background Sodium (Na + ) is one of the most intensely researched ions in plant biology and has attained a reputation for its toxic qualities. Following the principle of Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim (Paracelsus), Na + is, however, beneficial to many species at lower levels of supply, and in some, such as certain C4 species, indeed essential. Scope Here, we review the ion's divergent roles as a nutrient and toxicant, focusing on growth responses, membrane transport, stomatal function, and paradigms of ion accumulation and sequestration. We examine connections between the nutritional and toxic roles throughout, and place special emphasis on the relationship of Na + to plant potassium (K + ) relations and homeostasis. Conclusions Our review investigates intriguing connections and disconnections between Na + nutrition and toxicity, and concludes that several leading paradigms in the field, such as on the roles of Na + influx and tissue accumulation or the cytosolic K + /Na + ratio in the development of toxicity, are currently insufficiently substantiated and require a new, critical approach.

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Section: Sodium As a Nutrientsupporting

confidence: 88%

Sodium as nutrient and toxicant

et al. 2013

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“…2011). As with any complex trait, C 4 photosynthesis likely evolved in incremental steps, via stages that are functionally intermediate and gradually increase carbon assimilation in warm and dry conditions (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2011; GPWGII 2012). Thus, establishing past photosynthetic transitions is difficult when photosynthetic type is modeled as a simple binary character (Ibrahim et al.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Introgression and repeated co-option facilitated the recurrent emergence of C₄photosynthesis among close relatives

et al. 2017

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The origins of novel traits are often studied using species trees and modeling phenotypes as different states of the same character, an approach that cannot always distinguish multiple origins from fewer origins followed by reversals. We address this issue by studying the origins of C4 photosynthesis, an adaptation to warm and dry conditions, in the grass Alloteropsis. We dissect the C4 trait into its components, and show two independent origins of the C4 phenotype via different anatomical modifications, and the use of distinct sets of genes. Further, inference of enzyme adaptation suggests that one of the two groups encompasses two transitions to a full C4 state from a common ancestor with an intermediate phenotype that had some C4 anatomical and biochemical components. Molecular dating of C4 genes confirms the introgression of two key C4 components between species, while the inheritance of all others matches the species tree. The number of origins consequently varies among C4 components, a scenario that could not have been inferred from analyses of the species tree alone. Our results highlight the power of studying individual components of complex traits to reconstruct trajectories toward novel adaptations.

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“…This is expected because MAP has been shown to correlate with tree cover in subtropical and tropical grasslands and savannas (Sankaran, 2005;Bond, 2008). Because trees are C 3 photosynthesizers (Sage et al, 2011), and the vast majority of grasses on the Edwards Plateau are C 4 plants (Smeins et al, 1976;Fowler and Dunlap 1986), changes in the proportion of tree cover on the landscape will manifest itself as changes in the proportion of C 3 /C 4 plants and the biomass-weighted mean  13 C value of the vegetation. To better understand these processes, and to provide a framework for interpreting leporid tooth population data, we developed a Monte-Carlo model for simulating the production of teeth from a synthetic population of leporids living on the Edwards Plateau with the modern seasonal cycle of vegetation.…”

Section: Modern Climatology and Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, existing data on the relative abundances of different species of plants on the Edwards Plateau were gathered (Fowler and Dunlap, 1986), and each species of plant was designated as utilizing the C 3 or C 4 photosynthetic pathway (Van Auken, 1997;Christin et al, 2008;Besnard et al, 2009;Sage, 2011). Growing season ranges for each plant species (Correll and Johnston, 1970) were then applied, allowing us to construct a synthetic monthly record of C 3 /C 4 vegetation changes on the Edwards Plateau (Fig.…”

Section: Establishing the Seasonal Cycle In Leporid Tooth δ 13 C Valuesmentioning

confidence: 99%