1 The role of photorespiration during the evolution of C4 2 photosynthesis in the genus Flaveria 3 Authors: 4 Julia Mallmann1+, David Heckmann2+, Andrea Bräutigam3, Martin J. Lercher2,4, Andreas P.M. 5 Weber3,4 , Peter Westhoff1,4 and Udo Gowik1* 6 7 1Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute for Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, 40225 8 Düsseldorf, Germany 9 2Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute for Computer Science, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany 10 3Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Institute of Plant Biochemistry, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany 11 4Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences (CEPLAS) "From Complex Traits towards Synthetic 12 Modules", 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany 13 14 +These authors contributed equally to this work 15 16 *For correspondence: 17 Udo Gowik, Institute for Plant Molecular and Developmental Biology, Heinrich-Heine- 18 Universität Universitätsstrasse 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany. Tel: 49 (0) 211 8114368. Fax: 19 49 (0) 211 8114871. E-mail:
[email protected] 20 21 Competing interests 22 The authors declare that no competing interests exist. 23 1 24 Abstract 25 26 C4 photosynthesis represents a most remarkable case of convergent evolution of a complex 27 trait, which includes the reprogramming of the expression patterns of thousands of genes. 28 Anatomical, physiological, and phylogenetic analyses as well as computational modeling 29 indicate that the establishment of a photorespiratory carbon pump (termed C2 photosynthesis) 30 is a prerequisite for the evolution of C4. However, a mechanistic model explaining the tight 31 connection between the evolution of C4 and C2 photosynthesis is currently lacking. Here we 32 address this question through comparative transcriptomic and biochemical analyses of closely 33 related C3, C3-C4, and C4 species, combined with Flux Balance Analysis constrained through 34 a mechanistic model of carbon fixation.