Summary
C4 photosynthesis in the monocots occurs in species from three lineages: the Alismatales, Cyperaceae, and Poaceae. Previous estimates of C4 origins in the monocots have suggested one origin of C4 within the Alismatales, at least four origins in the Cyperaceae, and at least four (and likely more) origins in the Poaceae. The present Chapter explores the numbers of origins of C4 in these three lineages further, summarizing the literature and reanalyzing the phylogenetic and photosynthetic pathway data for Panicoideae grasses, using Bayesian estimation of tree topologies and stochastic mapping of photosynthetic pathway characteristics. These results suggest that there have been a minimum of 24 separate C4 origins in the monocots: 2 Alismatales, 5 Cyperaceae, and 17 Poaceae, and that transition frequencies and directions among photosynthetic pathway characteristics in the Panicoideae grasses are more complex than previously estimated. Further, the lack of species-level phylogenies and photosynthetic pathway characterizations in several lineages (particularly Cyperaceae and Chloridoideae grasses) preclude robust estimates of photosynthetic pathway origins and transitions. A concerted effort is needed to clarify these issues.
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Abbreviations
- CAM:
-
Crassulacean acid metabolism
- CCM:
-
CO2 concentrating mechanism
- NAD-ME:
-
NAD-malic enzyme
- NADP-ME:
-
NADP-malic enzyme
- PCK:
-
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase
- PEPC:
-
Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase
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Roalson, E.H. (2010). Chapter 16 C4 Photosynthesis Origins in the Monocots: A Review and Reanalysis. In: Raghavendra, A., Sage, R. (eds) C4 Photosynthesis and Related CO2 Concentrating Mechanisms. Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 32. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9407-0_16
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