Keywords
photosynthesis types
Kranz anatomy
resilience
preadaptations
mosaicism
How to Cite
Abstract
The article provides a literature analysis of the features and advantages of С4 and CAM photosynthesis in Euphorbiaceae Juss. representatives compared to classic C3 metabolism. It determines the prerequisites and possible stages in plants’ transition from C3 to C4 and CAM photosynthesis. The C4 photosynthesis is a convergent evolutionary system that emerged independently more than 62 times. It involves anatomical and biochemical modifications of the C3 pathway and ensures high productivity under hot, dry conditions, tolerance to insolation, and metabolic intensity, serving as a key model of adaptive evolution. Its formation stages include the accumulation of preadaptations, the formation of proto-Kranz anatomy, the emergence of C2 photosynthesis, the adjustment of photosynthetic components, and the development of a full-fledged C4 pathway with simultaneous suppression of C3 metabolism.
In CAM plants, CO2 fixation occurs at night through the carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate, producing C4 acids. Meanwhile, during the day, with stomata closed, the internal CO2 reserve is used after C4 acids decarboxylation, which ensures temporal process segregation. The C2 photosynthesis type is considered an evolutionarily important intermediate stage between the classic C3 and efficient C4 pathways found in Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce (i.e., Euphorbia acuta Engelm., E. angusta Engelm., and E. johnstonii Mayfield).
The Euphorbiaceae family also exhibits 'photosynthetic mosaicism', which combines different carbon fixation pathways, a phenomenon of great scientific interest and in need of in-depth study. The combination of C3 and CAM pathways in E. tirucalli L. ensures resilience and rapid biomass accumulation, while the intermediate strategy of E. milii Des Moul. (C3 with partial CAM cyclization) reduces water loss and illustrates the transition between C3 and CAM. A typical tropical C3 plant, E. umbellata (Pax) Bruyns, adapts to seasonal drought using morphological mechanisms (fleshy leaves and latex) without involving CAM. Improving crops with advanced C4 photosynthesis can therefore increase yields of food, industrial, and energy plants and ensure efficient use of Ukraine’s plant resources.
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