Imaging of frozen plant leaves

The evolution of C4 photosynthesis led to an increase in carbon assimilation rates and plant growth compared to C3 photosynthetic plants. This enhanced plant growth affects the requirement for soil-derived mineral nutrients. However, mineral plant nutrition has scarcely been considered in connection with C4 photosynthesis. By analyzing closely related species with different photosynthesis types, we have shown differences in accumulation of sulfur compounds and allocation of phosphate between C3 and C4 species. However, a holistic view of the differences in mineral homeostasis between C3 and C4 plants is missing. To close this knowledge gap, we propose here a detailed mapping of elemental distribution in closely related C3, C3-C4, and C4 species of the tropical grass genus Panicum, which is a common model for studies of evolution of C4 photosynthesis.