Question

Which of the following enzymes helps in fixing CO₂ into malic acid in sorghum plant?

Options

• RuBP carboxylase

• PEP carboxylase

• Pentose phosphatase

• Fructose phosphatase

Answer 1

PEP carboxylase

Explanation:

The C₄ pathway is found in the majority of plants that have adapted to dry tropical regions. These plants are known as C₄ plants. Sugarcane, maize, sorghum, com, and other crops are examples of these plants. Carbon fixation in these plants occurs via the Hatch and Slack pathways. It is also known as the C₄ pathway. It is a cyclical process. It can be found in chloroplasts. Hatch and Slack, two Australian scientists, were the first to discover it. In this pathway, carbon dioxide is fixed. The primary CO₂ acceptor is a three-carbon molecule called phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP), which is found in mesophyll cells. PEP carboxylase, also known as PEP case, is the enzyme that catalyses this CO₂ fixation.