39] Isolation of mitochondria from leaves of C3, C4, and crassulacean acid metabolism plants

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes methods to isolate mitochondria from leaf tissue of three different photosynthetic groups of higher plants: C3, C4, and Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants. In isolating mitochondria from the leaf mesophyll cells of C3 plants, photosynthetic tissue in which atmospheric CO2 is directly fixed through the reductive pentose phosphate pathway (with the 3-C phosphoglyceric acid as product). In C4 plants, CO2 assimilation occurs through two photosynthetic cell types, the mesophyll and the bundle sheath. Atmospheric CO2 is initially fixed into C4 dicarboxylic acids in the mesophyll cells; the C4 acids then serve as donors of carbon to the reductive pentose phosphate pathway in bundle sheath cells. In CAM plants, CO2 is fixed in the dark through phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) carboxylase and malic acid is formed and utilized as a carbon donor to the reductive pentose phosphate pathway in the subsequent light period.