<scp>C<sub>4</sub></scp> monocots and <scp>C<sub>4</sub></scp> dicots exhibit rapid photosynthetic induction response in contrast to <scp>C<sub>3</sub></scp> plants
K. TANIGAWA, Yuchen Qu, Naoya Katsuhama, Kazuma Sakoda, Yu Wakabayashi, Yu Tanaka, Rowan F. Sage, Tracy Lawson, Wataru Yamori
Abstract
Abstract Considering the prevalence of ever‐changing conditions in the natural world, investigation of photosynthetic responses in C 4 plants under fluctuating light is needed. Here, we studied the effect of dynamic illumination on photosynthesis in totally 10 C 3 , C 3 –C 4 intermediate, C 4 ‐like and C 4 dicots and monocots at CO 2 concentrations of 400 and 800 μmol mol −1 . C 4 and C 4 ‐like plants had faster photosynthetic induction and light‐induced stomatal dynamics than C 3 plants at 400 μmol mol −1 , but not at 800 μmol mol −1 CO 2 , at which the CO 2 supply rarely limits photosynthesis. C 4 and C 4 ‐like plants had a higher water use efficiency than C 3 plants at both CO 2 concentrations. There were positive correlations between photosynthetic induction and light‐induced stomatal response, together with CO 2 compensation point, which was a parameter of the CO 2 ‐concentrating mechanism of C 4 photosynthesis. These results clearly show that C 4 photosynthesis in both monocots and dicots adapts to fluctuating light conditions more efficiently than C 3 photosynthesis. The rapid photosynthetic induction response in C 4 plants can be attributed to the rapid stomatal dynamics, the CO 2 ‐concentrating mechanism or both.