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Biochemical Model of C3 Photosynthesis

  • Chapter
Book cover Photosynthesis in silico

Part of the book series: Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration ((AIPH,volume 29))

A brief overview of the C3 photosynthesis model described by Graham Farquhar, Susanne von Caem-merer and Joseph Berry is provided. The model was designed to help interpret gas exchange measurements of CO2 assimilation of leaves and to represent C3 photosynthesis in other systems such as stomatal control and the CO2 concentrating function of C4 photosynthesis. It can predict steady state CO2 assimilation rates under different environmental conditions of light intensity, temperature, CO2 and O2 concentrations. The model is based on Rubisco's kinetic properties and the rate of CO2 assimilation is given as the minimum of either a Rubisco limited rate, where the substrate ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP) is saturating, or a chloroplast electron transport (or RuBP regeneration) limited rate. The model can be used to estimate in vivo Rubisco activity and chloroplast electron transport capacity. This however requires information on the partial pressure of CO2 in the chloroplast which has been shown to be less than that in the intercellular airspaces. The temperature dependence of Rubisco kinetic constants is based on both in vitro and in vivo measurements of these parameters. The temperature dependence of the maximum chloroplast electron transport has also been parameterized from both in vivo and in vitro measurements; however the fact that thermal acclimation changes thylakoid properties and the temperature dependence of chloroplast electron transport prevents a unique parameterization. Further studies are required to investigate whether CO2 assimilation rate at temperature extremes is limited by Rubisco and its activation state or by electron transport capacity in order to improve the model's accuracy under these conditions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Molecular Plant Physiology Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

    Susanne von Caemmerer

  2. Environmental Biology Group, Research School of Biological Sciences, Australian National University, Box 475, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

    Graham Farquhar

  3. Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 260 Panama st., Stanford, CA, 94305, USA

    Joseph Berry

Authors
  1. Susanne von Caemmerer
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  2. Graham Farquhar
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  3. Joseph Berry
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  1. University of Tartu, Estonia

    Agu Laisk

  2. Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Nové Hrady, Czech Republic

    Ladislav Nedbal

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von Caemmerer, S., Farquhar, G., Berry, J. (2009). Biochemical Model of C3 Photosynthesis. In: Laisk, A., Nedbal, L., Govindjee (eds) Photosynthesis in silico . Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, vol 29. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9237-4_9

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