C4 Plants: The Exception

Photorespiration: It is an unwanted process during which rubisco catalyses the reaction between
RuBP and oxygen instead of RuBP and carbon dioxide. This is more likely to happen at high
temperatures and high light intensities.
- The difference between C3 and C4 plants:
In C3 plants, in the first step of the light independent reactions, an unstable 6C organic
compound forms and breaks down into two 3C organic compounds (glycerate 3-phosphate).
In 4C plants, in the first step of the light independent reactions, a 4C compound is formed
(oxaloacetate).
- Adaptations against photorespiration
4C plants, such as maize, sugarcane, and other tropical plants have adaptations against
photorespiration.
- The enzymes for the Calvin cycle (e.g. rubisco) are kept in special bundle sheath cells
surrounding the vascular bundle, where they are not in contact with air/oxygen.
1. The mesophyll cells around the bundle sheath cells are in contact with oxygen. The light
dependent reactions take place in these mesophyll cells.
2. Then, carbon dioxide is fixed by PEP carboxylase (phosphoenol pyruvate carboxylase)
and combined with PEP, a 3C molecule, to form oxaloacetate.
3. Oxaloacetate is converted into malate.
4. Malate is transferred to the bundle sheath cells.
5. Malate is broken down into pyruvate and carbon dioxide.
6. The carbon dioxide takes part in the Calvin cycle as usual and the pyruvate returns to
the mesophyll cells in order to reform PEP.
- The enzyme PEP carboxylase has a higher optimum temperature in plants from tropical/
hot regions (45 degrees) compared to the same enzyme in other plants (30 degrees).