Accelerated remodeling of the mesophyll-bundle sheath interface in the maize C4 cycle mutant leaves

Abstract C4 photosynthesis in the maize leaf involves the exchange of organic acids between mesophyll (M) and the bundle sheath (BS) cells. The transport is mediated by plasmodesmata embedded in the suberized cell wall. We examined the maize Kranz anatomy with a focus on the plasmodesmata and cell wall suberization with microscopy methods. In the young leaf zone where M and BS cells had indistinguishable proplastids, plasmodesmata were simple and no suberin was detected. In leaf zones where dimorphic chloroplasts were evident, the plasmodesma acquired sphincter and cytoplasmic sleeves, and suberin was discerned. These modifications were accompanied by a drop in symplastic dye mobility at the M-BS boundary. We compared the kinetics of chloroplast differentiation and the modifications in M-BS connectivity in ppdk and dct2 mutants where C4 cycle is affected. The rate of chloroplast diversification did not alter, but plasmodesma remodeling, symplastic transport inhibition, and cell wall suberization were observed from younger leaf zone in the mutants than in wild type. Our results indicate that inactivation of the C4 genes accelerated the changes in the M-BS interface, and the reduced permeability suggests that symplastic transport between M and BS could be regulated for normal operation of C4 cycle.