Monocotyledonous C4 species classified as NADP-ME-type transfer malate from mesophyll to bundle sheath cells where this acid is decarboxylated via NADP malic enzyme (EC 1.1.1.40) to yield pyruvate and CO2. The dicotyledon G. celosioides is most appropriately classified in thls group on the basis of high leaf activities of NADP malic enzyme and NADP malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.82). However, this species contains high aspartate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.1) and alanine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.2) activities and centripetally located bundle sheath chloroplasts, features more typical of other groups of C4 species that cycle aspartate and alanine between mesophyll and bundle sheath cells. During the present study, we found that these aminotransferases and NADP malate dehydrogenase were predominantly located in mesophyll cells, that malate was the major C4 acid labelled when leaves were exposed to 14CO2, and that label was initially lost most rapidly from the C-4 of malate during a chase in 12CO2. These results are consistent with the major route of photosynthetic metabolism being the same as that operative in other NADP-ME-type species, although this may be supplemented by a minor route utilizing aspartate. In contrast to monocotyledonous NADP-ME-type C4 species, isolated bundle sheath cells from G. celosioides were capable of rapid photoreduction of NADP as judged by products formed during assimilation of 14CO2 and their capacity for light-dependent oxygen evolution. This was related to a relatively high frequency of single unstacked granum in the chloroplasts of these cells.
Differential expression of C4 pathway genes in mesophyll and bundle sheath cells of greening maize leaves.