Metabolic Modeling of the C₃-CAM Continuum Revealed the Establishment of a Starch/Sugar-Malate Cycle in CAM Evolution.

ABSTRACT: The evolution of Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is thought to be along a C₃-CAM continuum including multiple variations of CAM such as CAM cycling and CAM idling. Here, we applied large-scale constraint-based modeling to investigate the metabolism and energetics of plants operating in C₃, CAM, CAM cycling, and CAM idling. Our modeling results suggested that CAM cycling and CAM idling could be potential evolutionary intermediates in CAM evolution by establishing a starch/sugar-malate cycle. Our model analysis showed that by varying CO₂ exchange during the light period, as a proxy of stomatal conductance, there exists a C₃-CAM continuum with gradual metabolic changes, supporting the notion that evolution of CAM from C₃ could occur so

SUBMITTER: Tay IYY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7874232 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature