丙酮酸磷酸双激酶 （Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase，PPDK）是C4光合作用的关键酶与限速酶，研究该基因及其代谢物调控网络系统对于揭示C4光合作用的分子机理具有重要意义。本项目将利用已筛选到的玉米PPDK突变体，结合新一代的激光显微切割及测序技术，对其叶片发育过程中花环结构及叶绿体发育的显微结构、叶片的光合指标、叶片，叶肉细胞及维管束鞘细胞转录组，代谢组变化进行详细且深入的研究，利用系统生物学的方法分析PPDK在C4光合中的调控体系,为C3作物的C4改造提供理论基础和候选基因。

Pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK) is the key and rate-limiting enzyme of C4 photosynthesis. The regulatory network study of this gene and metabolites is very important to reveal the C4 photosynthetic molecular mechanism. This project will perform detailed study on the development of kranz anatomy and chloroplast, the parameters of photosynthesis, the transcriptome of leaf sections, bundle sheath and mesophyll cells, and the changes of metabolites during the maize leaf development using the PPDK mutants and the advanced techniques, e.g. laser capture microdissection and next generation sequencing. Further more, the project will use the system biology approaches to analyze the regulatory mechanisms of PPDK in the C4 photosynthesis, which will provide theoretical foundations and the candidate genes for engineering C3 crops into C4.