ATP and NADPH + H+ Utilization in C4 Plants
In C4 plants, the ratio of ATP, NADPH + H+, and ATP used for the production of glucose follows a specific metabolic pathway.
- For every molecule of glucose produced in C4 plants:
- ATP is required for the initial carbon fixation step and later for the regeneration of PEP (phosphoenolpyruvate). This process requires 4 ATP.
- NADPH + H+ is required for the reduction steps in the Calvin cycle to convert 3-phosphoglycerate into G3P (glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate). This process requires 2 NADPH + H+.
- Additional ATP is required for the regeneration of ribulose bisphosphate (RuBP), and this is usually 1 ATP.
Thus, the correct ratio of ATP generated, ATP used, and NADPH + H+ used is 4:1:2.
Therefore, the correct answer is (3) 4:1:2.