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SUMMARY:Energetics under limiting light: a useful tool to study C4 photosy
 nthesis - Chandra Bellasio
DTSTART:20120420T120000Z
DTEND:20120420T123000Z
UID:TALK36366@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Suzy Stoodley
DESCRIPTION:C4 plants have a highly effective carbon concentrating mechani
 sm that pumps CO2 from mesophyll to bundle sheath cells\, the compartment 
 where the carboxylating enzyme Rubisco is located. The high CO2 concentrat
 ion effectively suppresses the oxygenase activity of Rubisco. As a result 
 under certain environmental conditions (high temperature\, high light) C4 
 plants have higher efficiency compared to C3 plants. A useful way to study
  C4 physiology is addressing the energy losses that occur under limiting c
 onditions when the C4 pathway is less competitive (low light\, low tempera
 ture) when some CO2 escapes from bundle sheath.\n\nLeakiness can be estima
 ted measuring gas exchange\, photosystem II yield and carbon isotope discr
 imination during photosynthesis. By means of a C4 photosynthesis model\, p
 arameters such as bundle sheath conductance and the concentration of CO2 i
 n the bundle sheath can be calculated. My initial study has been comparing
  leakiness and photosynthesis efficiency of maize plants grown under high 
 and low light conditions. The aim is to define why leakiness increases at 
 low light\, and whether low light plants can adjust their photosynthetic o
 perating efficiency. Understanding C4 process is relevant both for improvi
 ng crop productivity in dense crop stands (self-shading) and for understan
 ding the photochemical demands\, should the C4 pathway be introduced into 
 a C3 crop such as rice.
LOCATION:Department of Plant Sciences\, Large Lecture Theatre
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