In vitro enzyme activities and products of (14)CO 2 assimilation in flag leaf and ear parts of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Activities of key enzymes of Calvin cycle and C4 metabolism, rate of (14)CO2 fixation in light and dark and the initial products of photosynthetic (14)CO2 fixation were determined in flag leaf and different ear parts of wheat viz. pericarp, awn and glumes. Compared to the activities of RuBP carboxylase and other Calvin cycle enzymes viz. NADP-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, NAD-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and ribulose-5-phosphate kinase, the levels of PEP carboxylase and other enzymes of C4 metabolism viz. NADP-malate dehydrogenase, NAD-malate dehydrogenase, NADP-malic enzyme, NAD-malic enzyme, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase genase, NADP-malic enzyme, NAD-malic enzyme, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase and glutamate pyruvate transaminase, were generally greater in ear parts than in the flag leaf. In contrast to CO2 fixation in light, the various ear parts incorporated CO2 in darkness at much higher rates than flag leaf. In short term assimilation of (14)CO2 by illuminated ear parts, most of the (14)C was in malate with less in 3-phosphoglyceric acid, whereas flag leaves incorporated most into 3-phosphoglyceric acid. It seems likely that ear parts have the capability of assimilating CO2 by the C4 pathway of photosynthesis and utilise PEP carboxylase for recapturing the respired CO2.