Temperature response of mesophyll conductance in three C4 species calculated with two methods: 18O discrimination and in vitro Vpmax

Abstract

Mesophyll conductance (gm) is an important factor limiting rates of C3 photosynthesis. However, its role in C4 photosynthesis is poorly understood because it has been historically difficult to estimate. We use two methods to derive the temperature responses of gm in C4 species. The first (Δ18O) combines measurements of gas exchange with models and measurements of 18O discrimination. The second method (in vitro Vpmax) derives gm by retrofitting models of C4 photosynthesis and 13C discrimination with gas exchange, kinetic constants and in vitro Vpmax measurements. The two methods produced similar gm for Setaria viridis and Zea mays. Additionally, we present the first temperature response (10–40°C) of C4 gm in S. viridis, Z. mays and Miscanthus × giganteus. Values for gm at 25°C ranged from 2.90 to 7.85 μmol m−2 s−1 Pa−1. Our study demonstrated that: the two described methods are suitable to calculate gm in C4 species; gm values in C4 are similar to high-end values reported for C3 species; and gm increases with temperature analogous to reports for C3 species and the response is species specific. These results improve our mechanistic understanding of C4 photosynthesis.