Abstract
This article comments on: van Rooijen R, Schulze S, Petzsch P, Westhoff P. 2020. Targeted misexpression of NAC052, acting in H3K4 demethylation, alters leaf morphological and anatomical traits in Arabidopsis thaliana. Journal of Experimental Botany 71, 1434–1448.
Highlights
The enzyme Rubisco plays a central role in photosynthesis by capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in an organic form
This study helps to decipher the genetic basis behind the evolutionary neofunctionalization of the bundle sheath in C3 species, which lead to morphological changes to facilitate C4 photosynthesis
CO2 is initially fixed in mesophyll (M) cells as a four carbon (C4) intermediate, diffused deeper inside the leaf into bundle sheath (BS) cells where the C4 intermediate is decarboxylated for refixation by Rubisco (Hatch and Slack, 1966).C4 photosynthesis requires BS cell-specific expression of Rubisco, and several other enzymes that must be M or BS specific in order to operate the cycle
Summary
The enzyme Rubisco plays a central role in photosynthesis by capturing atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) in an organic form. Extant genes evolved to form this CO2-concentrating mechanism through changes in cell-preferential enzyme activity and leaf morphology (termed Kranz anatomy). Using an activation tagging screen in C3 Arabidopsis thaliana, Rooijen et al (2019) identified NAC052, a H3K4 demethylase, as a possible regulator of an increased number of bundle sheath cells and chloroplasts.
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