Variation in the Activity of Some Enzymes of Photorespiratory Metabolism in C4 Grasses

Photorespiration occurs in C4 plants, although rates are small compared with C3 plants. The amount of glycine decarboxylase in the bundle sheath (BS) varies among C4 grasses and is positively correlated with the granal index (ratio of the length of appressed thylakoid membranes to the total length of all thylakoid membranes) of the BS chloroplasts: C4 grasses with high granal index contained more glycine decarboxylase per unit leaf area than those with low granal index, probably reflecting the differences in O2 production from photosystem II and the potential photorespiratory capacity. Thus, it is hypothesized that the activities of peroxisomal enzymes involved in photorespiration are also correlated with the granal development.