A joint seminar of the section Systematics, Biodiversity & Evolution of Plants, the Botanische Staatssammlung München and the Botanical Garden München-Nymphenburg
When? Wednesdays at 1:15pm (during the semester, unless specified otherwise).
Where? Big Lecure Hall Botanical Institute, Menzinger Str. 67, 80638 München.
Dr. José Miguel Valderrama Martín, Institute of Plant Biochemistry Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf/CEPLAS, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Towards C4 photosynthesis: ecology and leaf anatomy of the C3-C4 intermediate species Moricandia arvensis
Certain plant species have been identified as natural intermediates in the evolutionary transition from C3 to C4 photosynthesis, as they exhibit CO2 compensation points that fall between those observed in typical C3 and C4 plants and C4-like leaf anatomical features. Consequently, the study of C3–C4 intermediates offers a unique opportunity to deepen our understanding of the evolutionary trajectories of photosynthetic pathways, but also for paving the way to more resilient plants in the context of climate change.
Using the Brassicaceae family—which encompasses five independent evolutionary origins of C3–C4 intermediate photosynthesis—we investigated the ecological performance of these species to identify potential adaptive advantages associated with this photosynthetic type. In addition, anatomical analyses of the leaves of Moricandia arvensis (C3-C4) and Moricandia moricandioides (C3) revealed distinctive structural features linked to this intermediate anatomy, shedding light on how these traits may contribute to the functioning of C3–C4 photosynthesis.
Host: Dr. Renata Callegari Ferrari