Do plants using C2 photosynthesis grow differently than C3 and C4 plants?

C₂ photosynthesis is an evolutionary intermediate physiological state between C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways. Like C₃ plants, C₂ plants assimilate CO₂ via the enzyme Rubisco in mesophyll cells, however, their specific localization of glycine decarboxylase in bundle sheath cells creates a simple CO₂ concentrating mechanism that captures and reuses CO₂ released from photorespiration, consequently increasing overall net CO₂ assimilation. Thus, C₂ plants achieve greater photosynthetic efficiency simply by compartmentalising the photorespiratory process, whilst maintaining similar basic photosynthetic metabolism and leaf anatomy to C₃ plants. The extent to which C₂ physiology influences plant growth rate and resource allocation is poorly understood. Here, I will present results from a large-scale, common garden, relative growth rate experiment on plants using C₂ photosynthesis from diverse plant lineages, grown alongside their close C₃ and C₄ relatives. This work establishes a cohesive understanding of the degree to which C₂ physiology may convey faster growth compared to C₃ physiology alone, the growth advantage of C₄ over C₂ physiology, and how biomass allocation between leaves, stems, and roots differ between these three pathways in closely related species. 

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