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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Assessing Structural Traits in Triticum aestivum and Zea mays for C3 and C4 Photosynthetic Differentiation Using Free-hand and Semi-thin Sections
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Published on: July 12, 2024

C4 Photosynthesis evolved in grasses via parallel adaptive genetic changes.

Pascal-Antoine Christin1, Nicolas Salamin, Vincent Savolainen

  • 1Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. pascal-antoine.christin@unil.ch

Current Biology : CB
|July 7, 2007
PubMed
Summary

Evolutionary studies reveal that 21 amino acids in phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) evolved convergently in grasses, enabling C4 photosynthesis independently multiple times. This highlights evolution

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Plant Science

Background:

  • Phenotypic convergence is common, but molecular mechanisms are often unknown.
  • The C4 photosynthetic pathway is a prime example of physiological convergence, evolving over 45 times.
  • Understanding the genetic basis of C4 photosynthesis in grasses (Poaceae) is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying C4 convergent phenotypes in grasses.
  • To reconstruct the evolutionary history of genes encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC).
  • To identify specific amino acid changes responsible for C4 PEPC function.

Main Methods:

  • Phylogenetic analyses of PEPC gene family.
  • Identification of genes encoding C4-specific PEPC isoforms.
  • Analysis of amino acid evolution under positive selection.

Main Results:

  • Grass C4 PEPCs evolved independently at least eight times from non-C4 PEPC ancestors.
  • Twenty-one amino acids showed convergent evolution, acquiring similar or identical residues in C4 lineages.
  • These convergent amino acids created a strong phylogenetic signal grouping C4 PEPCs together.

Conclusions:

  • This study presents a high level of molecular convergent evolution in C4 PEPCs, demonstrating evolutionary repeatability.
  • The identified C4-specific amino acids are critical for PEPC enzymatic function.
  • These findings open possibilities for engineering the C4 pathway in crops.