9604518 Bowes Dr. Bowes has worked on the mechanisms of carbon fixation during photosynthesis for many years. His work has recently moved into a new area, and the laboratory is now using molecular analysis of gene expression in addition to biochemical analyses. Adding to the three basic types of carbon fixation mechanisms, Dr. Bowes now adds another one. His group detected plants which show inducible aspects of C4 metabolism without expressing the morphological/anatomical characteristics of this pathway. The work proposed promises to provide an integration of molecular, evolutionary and physiological aspects of the new pathway. The group will isolate the transcripts for key enzymes of the pathway, place them into an evolutionary context and study the biochemical characteristics of these enzymes. The focus is on the differences in activity regulation that can be expected to distinguish the enzymes that are expressed when the plants are in different fixation modes.
