Environmental regulation of photosynthetic metabolism in the amphibious sedge Eleocharis baldwinii and comparisons with related species

The amphibious leafless sedge, Eleocharis baldwinii, expresses C ₄ characteristics in the terrestrial form and intermediate characteristics between C₃ and C₄ photosynthesis in the submerged form. This study examined the immunocytochemical localization of C₃ and C₄ enzymes in culms of the two forms to elucidate the regulatory mechanism of photosynthetic metabolism and compared the activities and amounts of C₃ and C₄ enzymes with those in other Eleocharis species, E. vivipara and E. retroflexa, which show C ₄ characteristics on land but C₃ and C₄ characteristics under water. The terrestrial form of E. baldwinii exhibited a C₄-like pattern of enzyme localization. The submerged form exhibited a modified anatomy with well-developed mesophyll cells and small Kranz cells. The C₄ enzyme levels declined conspicuously in outer mesophyll cells adjacent to the epidermis, whereas Rubisco levels increased throughout the mesophyll in the submerged form. These results suggest that intermediate photosynthesis between C₃ and C₄ photosynthesis in the submerged form results from the predominant operation of the C₃ pathway in the outer mesophyll cells and the C₄ pathway in both the inner mesophyll and Kranz cells. Differences in the degree of C₄ expression in terrestrial forms of Eleocharis species may cause the differences in the expression of photosynthetic modes under water.