Dear Colleagues,

Photosynthesis, the process via which autotrophs consume carbon dioxide in the green cells, is the most important phenomena on Earth since it provides molecular oxygen and facilitates growth in higher plants and algae by allowing them to utilize organic substances from inorganic carbon. Inorganic carbon is the substrate of the key reaction in the dark stage of photosynthesis, involving the carboxylation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate by the enzyme ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), which is the most abundant plant cell protein. Inorganic carbon is involved not only in the “dark metabolism” reactions, but also interacts with the participants in the “light stage by the effect of HCO₃ˉ (or CO₂) on electron transfer both on the donor and on the acceptor side of Photosystem II, so-called “bicarbonate effect”.

The flows of carbon dioxide in the cell and the whole organism are rather intense. A delay in inorganic carbon intake can not only slow down the processes of photosynthesis, but also gravely alter the homeostasis of the cell and even cause its death. Hence, certain plants require the mechanisms for inorganic carbon concentration in cells close to Rubisco, when adapting to growth conditions during the evolution of photosynthesis. These metabolic pathways, which differ in different groups of organisms, are called the CO₂-concentrating mechanisms (CCM). Aquatic photoautotrophs (such as cyanobacteria and algae) that lack CCM would be deficient in CO₂ for photosynthesis, because despite the fact that the concentration of CO₂ in water is approximately the same as in air, the rate of its diffusion in water is 1000 times smaller. In terrestrial higher plants, CCM exists in the C4 form of photosynthesis with the primary carboxylation reactions and the Calvin cycle separated in space or in time, as in the case of Crassulacean acid (CAM) metabolism.

This Special Issue aims to collate research papers on all aspects of photosynthesis in higher plants and algae, carbon metabolism, inorganic carbon transport into plants cells and organoids, the physiological sensing of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, the participation of higher plants and algae enzymes in these processes. We also welcome papers concerning the locations, functions, participation in metabolic processes, isolation, structure of dark metabolism enzymes, bicarbonate transporters from algae and higher plants with C3 and C4 types of CO₂ fixation, new aspects of HCO₃ˉ interaction with the components of Photosystem II, the effect of inorganic carbon on the functioning of electron-transport chain, the expression of bicarbonate-transporter-encoding genes, and the practical use of bicarbonate transporter mutants (i.e., their medical relevance, gene manipulation for developing improved agricultural crops, and their application for reducing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels).

Dr. Natalia N. Rudenko
Dr. Natallia L. Pshybytko
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• algae
• bicarbonate
• bicarbonate effect
• C3 photosynthesis
• C4 photosynthesis
• CAM metabolism
• carbon fixation
• chloroplasts
• CO₂ concentrating mechanism
• higher plant
• photosynthesis
• rubisco