From enzyme activity to plant biotechnology: 30 years of research on phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase

This paper reviews the contribution of P. Gadal’s group to the study of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) in plants. It highlights how molecular biology and genetics have helped to advance our understanding of the PEPC multigene family, including evolutionary aspects, and the regulatory mechanisms controlling the expression of the gene encoding the photosynthetic isoform of C4 plants. Preliminary experiments using plant transformation with the aim of determining the role of PEPC isoforms in different physiological contexts and to improve crop yield are also reported.