Developmental genetic mechanisms of C4 syndrome based on transcriptome analysis of C3 cotyledons and C4 assimilating shoots in Haloxylon ammodendron.

ABSTRACT: It is believed that transferring the C4 engine into C3 crops will greatly increase the yields of major C3 crops. Many efforts have been made since the 1960s, but relatively little success has been achieved because C4plant traits, referred to collectively as C4 syndrome, are very complex, and little is known about the genetic mechanisms involved. Unfortunately, there exists no ideal genetic model system to study C4 syndrome. It was previously reported that the Haloxylon species have different photosynthetic pathways in different photosynthetic organs, cotyledons and assimilating shoots. Here, we took advantage of the developmental switch from the C3 to the C4 pathway to study the genetic mechanisms behind this natural transition. We compared the transcriptomes of cotyledons and assimilating

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4313948 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature