The biochemical and physiological characteristics of C4 photosynthesis have been researched and clarified in detail. We now know that the differentiation of two cell types, mesophyll cells (MC) and bundle sheath cells (BSC), is required for efficient C4 photosynthesis. Thus, the leaves of C4 plants have more complicated structural and functional features than those of C3 plants (Hatch, 1999; Ka...

Identification of potential cis-regulatory motifs controlling the development of C4 photosynthesis is a major focus of current research. In this study, we used time-series RNA-seq data collected from etiolated maize and rice leaf tissues sampled during a de-etiolation process to systematically characterize the expression patterns of C4-related genes and to further identify potential cis element...

Two forms of C4-binding protein (C4-bp) (C4-bp low, C4-bp high), which differ slightly in net charge and apparent molecular weight, as determined by SDS- PAGE, were separated by ion-exchange chromatography and contaminants removed with specific antisera. Both forms of C4-bp served as cofactors for the cleavage of C4b in solution by C3b inactivator, and the resulting fragments of the a'-chain of...

Phenotypic convergence is a widespread and well-recognized evolutionary phenomenon. However, the responsible molecular mechanisms remain often unknown mainly because the genes involved are not identified. A well-known example of physiological convergence is the C4 photosynthetic pathway, which evolved independently more than 45 times [1]. Here, we address the question of the molecular bases of ...

An essential aspect of innate immunity is recognition of molecular patterns on the surface of pathogens or altered self through the lectin and classical pathways, two of the three well-established activation pathways of the complement system. This recognition causes activation of the MASP-2 or the C1s serine proteases followed by cleavage of the protein C4. Here we present the crystal structure...

Bienertia sinuspersici is a terrestrial plant that performs C4 photosynthesis within individual cells through operating a carbon concentrating mechanism between different subcellular domains including two types of chloroplasts. It is currently unknown how differentiation of two highly specialized chloroplasts within the same cell occurs as no similar cases have been reported. Here we show that ...

The androgen-dependent liver protein Slp, together with its constitutively expressed closely related isoform C4, provides a model to address the question of which minimal alteration in DNA can shut off the expression of a gene in a manner reversible by testosterone or by trans-acting mutations. Previous work indicated that sequences located at -1.9, -0.45, and -0.25 kb from the transcription st...

Complement component C4 (C4) is a highly variable complement pathway gene situated ∼500 kb from DRB1 and DQB1, the genes most strongly associated with many autoimmune diseases. Variations in C4 copy number (CN), length, and isotype create a highly diverse gene cluster in which insertion of an endogenous retrovirus in the ninth intron of C4, termed HERV-K(C4), is a notable component. We investig...

There have been debates on the driving factors of C4 plant expansion, such as PCO2 decline in the late Micocene and warmer climate and precipitation at large-scale modern ecosystems. These disputes are mainly due to the lack of direct evidence and extensive data analysis. Here we use mass flora data to explore the driving factors of C4 distribution and divergent patterns for different C4 taxa a...