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Published on: August 6, 2018
Research Advances in Plant Pyruvate Kinase
Ruixiao Peng1, Fudeng Huang2, Yong He1
1Engineering Research Center of Ecology and Agricultural Use of Wetland, Ministry of Education, College of Life Science, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China.
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|July 28, 2026
Summary
Plant pyruvate kinase (PK) isoenzymes, cytosolic (PKc) and plastidic (PKp), regulate energy metabolism and development. This review details their structure, function, and roles in plant growth and stress resilience.
Area of Science:
- Plant biochemistry and molecular biology
- Enzymology and metabolic regulation
- Genomics and bioinformatics
Background:
- Pyruvate kinase (PK) is a key enzyme in glycolysis, crucial for plant energy metabolism and carbon allocation.
- Plant PK exists as cytosolic (PKc) and plastidic (PKp) isoenzymes with distinct origins, structures, and functions.
- Recent research highlights PKc's dynamic localization and PKp's role in linking carbon metabolism to biosynthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review recent advances in plant PKc and PKp.
- To analyze protein structure, expression, localization, regulation, and interactions.
- To provide insights for improving crop quality and stress resilience.
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic, motif, and domain analyses of PK genes from diverse plant species.
- Promoter cis-element analyses to understand gene regulation.
- Literature review of recent studies on PK structure, function, and regulation.
Main Results:
- PKc exhibits dynamic subcellular distribution, participating in stress responses and epigenetic regulation.
- PKp is localized in plastids, supplying pyruvate for lipid biosynthesis and seed development.
- Comparative analyses reveal evolutionary divergence and functional specialization of PK isoenzymes.
Conclusions:
- Understanding plant PK isoenzymes is vital for metabolic engineering and crop improvement.
- Targeting PKc and PKp offers potential for enhancing plant growth, development, and stress tolerance.
- This review provides a foundation for future research in plant PK biology and crop breeding.
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