This document discusses Rubisco, the most abundant enzyme on Earth, which catalyzes the first major step of photosynthesis and photorespiration. Rubisco exists in two forms with different functions - RuBP carboxylase, which catalyzes the first step of photosynthesis, and RuBP oxygenase, which catalyzes the first step of the wasteful process of photorespiration. The document outlines the conditions that favor each form and describes photorespiration in C3, C4, and CAM plants. It also discusses the significance and factors affecting photosynthesis.

2. RuBisCO
Enzyme – found in Stroma of Chloroplast
30% of total protein of leaves
Maximum protein/enzyme available in nature
Most abundant protein in the earth
50% of Chloroplast protein
More than 50% of soluble protein
Most plentiful single enzyme in the world

3. RuBisCO
Two forms – Two functions
RuBP Carboxylase RuBP Oxygenase
Photosynthesis Photorespiration

4. First formed product is 2 Phospho glycolic acid
Glycolate metabolism
First formed product is 2 carbon compound
C2 cycle
Substrate for Photorespiration – Glycolic Acid

5. RuBP Carboxylase
CO2 / O2 ratio is high - It is active
RuBP + CO2 3PGA (2 mol)
Carboxylation
Ribulose-1, 5 –Bis Phosphate = 5 carbon compound
PGA = Phospho Glyceric Acid = 3 Carbon compound
Light Independent (Dark) reaction of Photosynthesis
RuBP Carboxylase

6. RuBP Oxygenase
O2 / CO2 ratio is high - It is active
RuBP + O2
2PGA + 3PGA
P. Glycolic acid
Ribulose-1, 5 –Bis Phosphate = 5 carbon compound
PGA = Phospho Glyceric Acid = 3 Carbon compound
RuBP Oxygenase
Phospho Glycolic acid = 2 carbon compound
Photorespiration – C2 Cycle

7. Conditions which favour Photorespiration
1. Temperature exceeding optimum
3. High O2 Concentration than CO2
4. O2 compete with CO2
5. RuBP Carboxylase inactive
6. RuBP Oxygenase active
2. Light above saturation

8. CHARACTERS OF PHOTORESPIRATION
Occurs only in Chlorophyll tissues of plants
Only in C3 plants – Very little or absent in C4 & CAM plants
3 Cell organelles are involve
Chloroplast
Peroxisome
Mitochondria

10. Photorespiration
Wasteful process – Carbon & energy depletion
Essential – protect the plants from Photo
oxidation under stress condition
ESSENTIAL EVIL

11. Photorespiration in C3, C4 & CAM
 Photorespiration occurs only in C3 plants
 Absent in C4 plants – Because of “Kranz type” anatomy
 In C4 plants - C3 cycle takes place in Bundle Sheath cells
 Where CO2 / O2 ratio is high – RuBP case is active

12. Significance of Photorespiration
1. 25% loss of fixed carbon by C3 cycle – Wasteful process
2. Decreases the photosynthetic efficiency
3. Synthesis of Glycine & Serine – Precursors for Proteins,
Chlorophyll & Nucleotides
4. Reducing power produced by light reaction is
Consumed
5. Essential Evil – Protect the chloroplast from
photo Oxidation

13. Factors affecting Photosynthesis
I. Internal Factors 1. Protoplasmic factor
2. Anatomy of leaf
3. Chlorophyll content
4. Number of chloroplasts
5. Number of stomata
II. External Factors 1. Light
2. Temperature
3. CO2 concentration
4. Water
5. O2 concentration

16. The assimilate transport is a process of exchange of metabolites among the
functionally specialized organs and tissues as a coordination of activities of
plants as whole.
This is essentially required to know
1. The distribution of photosynthetic products in plants
2. Their accumulation in storage organs
3. Their mobilization during resumed growth and
4. The effect of climatic factors and farming practices on the above process

17. The assimilate transport is of two types depending on their distance of transport.
A) Short distance transport
B) Long distance transport
The two pathways function simultaneously and intimately inter twined forming
a continuous process encompassing the entire plant. These are extending in
parallel and pressed against each other resulting in the exchange of mobile
substance.

18. Anatomy of phloem tissue
Phloem is a complex tissue than the xylem.
The main components of phloem are sieve tubes.
These are the longitudinally arranged individual cells called sieve elements
with perforated end walls called sieve plates. They are living cells.
The mature sieve elements appear to contain living protoplasm, although
devoid of nucleus, posses differentially permeably membrane but do not have
a tonoplast.
Much of the protoplasm is in the form of P-Protein (phloem protein) a
fibrilliar protein.

21. ASSIMILATE TRANSLOCATION IN RELATION TO “SOURCE” AND “SINK”
Assimilate partitioning involves the production of assimilates in photosynthetic organs
(source) loading into sieve tubes, and translocation to the growing parts (sink), where
unloading takes place. An intact plant consists of multiple “Sources” and “sink”
SOURCE
A source is any plant part that export carbon. Leaves are the principles sources of assimilates.
SINK
The centers of storage or consumption of assimilates are the “Sinks”. A sink is an organ that
has a net import of assimilates which would be used for growth or storage. All actively
growing or metabolizing tissues are sinks.

22. PATHWAYS OF ASSIMILATE TRANSLOCATION
Assimilate pass across the mesophyll cells in two pathways separated or
simultaneously. They are
i. Symplastic transport of assimilates (via plasmodesmata) (living part of the
plant)
ii. Apoplastic transport of assimilates (via free space)

23. Symplastic transport of assimilates (via plasmodesmata) (living part of the plant)
• Along this route, the mesophyll cells are interconnected with thin strands of cytoplasm
penetrating the cell walls in many places called plasmodesmata.
• Thus, symplastic transport can be defined as Translocation of substances from one cell to
another via plasmodesmata.
Apoplastic transport of assimilates (via free space)
In this pathway, assimilates leave the cytoplasm
across its outer membrane, on to the surface of the
assimilating cells, (i.e. the apoplast) where in the
solution forming a film around the free
intercellular space between cells.
Thus, apoplast includes all non living cells, cell
walls and intercellular spaces in stems and leaves.

24. ASSIMILATE TRANSLOCATION CAN BE UNDERSTOOD FROM THE FOLLOWING
Phloem loading
Mechanism of phloem transport
Phloem unloading

26. MUNCH FLOW HYPOTHESIS

27. Composition of phloem sap:
Sucrose is the most important mobile organic solute (200-300 mM) followed by amino
acids (30-200mM) and organic acids. Among inorganic solutes it is potassium that
dominates.

28. PHLOEM UNLOADING IS BOTH SYMPLASTIC AND APOPLASTIC:
In vegetative sinks that are growing such as roots and young leaves, phloem
unloading and transport into receiver cells are usually symplastic. In other sinks
unloading is apoplastic.
Ex. Apoplastic unloading is required in developing seeds because there are no
symplastic connections between the maternal tissues and the tissues of the embryo.
When unloading is symplastic, transport of sugars occurs through plasmodesmata to
the receiver cells where it can be metabolized in the cytosol vacuole i.e., Passive
unloading occurs from a high concentration sieve elements to low concentration in
sink cell.

29. APOPLASTIC TRANSPORT IS ENERGY DEPENDENT:
When unloading is apoplastic, the transported sugars can partially be metabolized in
the apoplast (free space) itself. Ex. In sugarcane sucrose splits into glucose and
fructose by an enzyme invertase in the apoplast itself and glucose or fructose that is
taken up by the receiver cell
In case of apoplastic unloading, sugars must cross at least two membranes
1. Membrane of sieve element and companion complex
2. Membrane of the receiver cell
This transport of sugars across the membrane is shown to be active. Thus apoplastic
transport is an energy dependent process. Phloem unloading is strictly controlled by
sink metabolism. Faster the metabolism greater will be the sink demand.
It also depends upon the activity of phytohormones. In case of legumes, number of
nodules and nodule activity also controls phloem unloading.