Metabolic modeling links leaf anatomy to environment-specific benefits on the C3-C4 spectrum

Anatomy-aware metabolic modeling of a mesophyll–bundle sheath cell system shows plasmodesmata are crucial for the C3-to-C4 transition and identifies pre-C2 metabolic states linked to elevated photorespiration benefits.

• Why it matters: Quantitative structure–function relationships across the C3–C4 spectrum remain limited, limiting understanding of how leaf anatomy and metabolism jointly shape environment-specific photosynthetic performance.
• What they did: The study used anatomy-aware metabolic modeling to recapitulate transitory C3-to-C4 steps, then varied bundle sheath leakage and photorespiratory conditions along the C3–C4 spectrum.
• The result: Incorporating bundle cell suberisation predicts reduced PSII activity and dominance of the NADP-ME C4 subtype, and intermediate photosynthesis is linked to energetic benefits under conditions favoring elevated photorespiration.