Overload breakdown in models for photosynthesis

TL;DR

This paper investigates overload breakdown in photosynthesis models, proving theorems about when solutions with zero concentrations occur and analyzing the conditions leading to this phenomenon.

Contribution

It provides rigorous mathematical results on the existence and non-existence of overload breakdown solutions in Calvin cycle models, clarifying the conditions for zero concentration states.

Findings

Theorems on solution existence related to overload breakdown

Conditions under which key substances tend to zero

Comparison between models prone and resistant to overload breakdown

Abstract

In many models of the Calvin cycle of photosynthesis it is observed that there are solutions where concentrations of key substances belonging to the cycle tend to zero at late times, a phenomenon known as overload breakdown. In this paper we prove theorems about the existence and non-existence of solutions of this type and obtain information on which concentrations tend to zero when overload breakdown occurs. As a starting point we take a model of Pettersson and Ryde-Pettersson which seems to be prone to overload breakdown and a modification of it due to Poolman which was intended to avoid this effect.