Abstract:Photosynthetic characteristics of Ottelia alismoides and Hydrilla verticillata were studied after the two species were incubated under low CO2 conditions.The PEPC/Rubisco ratio of O.alismoides increased from 0.45 to 4.17 and of H.verticillata increased from 0.47 to 4.17 after low CO2 induction.The activity of PEPC and NAD-ME increased more than 10-fold and other C4 enzymes such as NAD-MDH and PPDK also increased significantly after low CO2 induction.Other photosynthetic characteristics also changed significantly.The net photosynthetic rate of O.alismoides and H.verticillata increased by 50.8% and 74.1%,respectively,and the oxygen inhibition on photosynthetic rate of the two species decreased to 35% and 60%,respectively,after low CO2 induction.The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters also changed after low CO2 induction.All these facts indicated that photosynthetic carbon assimilation of O.alismoides and H.verticillata might shift from C3 to C4 after low CO2 induction.