# Exaptation of ancestral cell-identity networks enables C4 photosynthesis

*PRI Rank #3 · Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026*

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026/rank-3*

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Rank | #3 |
| 18m citations | 64 |
| Journal | Nature |
| Year | 2024 |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41586-024-08204-3 |
| Corresponding authors | Leonie H. Luginbuehl, Joseph R. Ecker, Julian M. Hibberd |
| Institution | Salk Institute for Biological Studies, United States |

**Ranking page:** [Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026](https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026)

**Paper link:** [10.1038/s41586-024-08204-3](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-08204-3)

## Topics

C4 photosynthesis · C3 photosynthesis · bundle sheath cells · cell-identity networks · cis-regulatory elements · DOF transcription factors · DNA binding with one finger motifs · single-nucleus gene-expression atlases · chromatin-accessibility atlases · photosynthesis gene rewiring · CO2 compartmentalization · rice · sorghum · ancestral cis-code · transcription factor patterning · exaptation · C4 engineering in C3 crops

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/photosynthetic-processes-and-mechanisms/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459
```