Photorespiration A Wasteful Relic, or a Potentially Useful Metabolic Tool?

Lisa Keenan

Date of Award

2010

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Natural Sciences

First Advisor

Clore, Amy

Keywords

Photorespiration, C2, C3, Calvin Cycle, Rubisco, Reactive Oxygen Species, Metabolics, Plant Biochemistry, Plant, Plant Biology

Area of Concentration

Biology

Abstract

This thesis is an in-depth review of the photorespiratory (C2) metabolic pathway, as well as the other pathways closely connected to it, and the recent advances in the quest to produce a more productive plant. There has been some contention in the scientific community about the usefulness of the C2 pathway: on the one hand, it is a pathway that drains energy while producing no G3P (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate), a molecule necessary for the production of sugars, fatty acids, and amino acids; on the other hand, significant research has connected the photorespiratory metabolism with stress protection, nitrogen metabolism, and the equilibrium of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated in the plant cell, which has been found to impact signaling pathways. In the field of engineering productive plants, a significant quantity of research has focused on reducing or eliminating the photorespirative pathway with small success to date. However, a new tactic of increasing the metabolic rate of multiple pathways, the C2 included, shows promise.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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