Gene expression profiling in single cell C4 and related photosynthetic species in Suaedoideae

Slightly over a decade ago Suaeda aralocaspica, a higher land plant species that performs C4 photosynthesis in a single cell was discovered. Subsequent to this discovery three additional species in the Bienertia genus, a sister clade to the Suaeda genus, were reported that perform the C4 photosynthetic function in a single chlorenchyma cell. Since the discovery of these plants with a novel form of anatomy associated with photosynthesis, the genetic resources required for the advancement of knowledge of this phenomenon have been lacking. The goal of providing the genetic resources required to advance the knowledge of how these species attain the capability to perform C4 photosynthesis in a single cell has been the focus of this research.;The advent and maturing of High Throughput Sequencing (HTS) technologies has allowed for the generation of the massive amount of genomic and transcriptomic sequence information required to provide the resources required to investigate the unique genetic landscape of these single cell C4 (SCC4) species. The state of current knowledge about the SCC4 species is provided as well as the use of HTS technologies to elucidate the transcriptomic landscape of the developing Bienertia sinuspersici leaf and a photosynthesis-centric transcriptome comparison between the different structural C4 and C3 type photosynthetic species in the Suaedoideae subfamily is detailed. The B. sinuspersici developmental profile indicates that the young leaf tissue devotes the majority of the transcriptional energy in cell division, transcription and regulation whereas the transcriptional energy in the mature tissue is focused towards maintenance of the photosynthetic processes. Differential translational and chloroplast import components between the tissues are quite evident as well. Species level photosynthetic comparisons indicated differential isoform recruitment into the various pathways. The identification and characterization of the induction and regulation of genes required to develop dimorphic chloroplasts in a single cell will enable efforts to instill C4 traits into C3 species.