The full form for RUBISCO is Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. RUBISCO catalyses the rate-limiting move within the Calvin-Benson cycle, which converts atmospheric carbon into biologically useful carbon. Rubisco’s slow catalytic rate, as well as relatively low specificity, necessarily require the production of large amounts of this enzyme. To construct a more efficient Rubisco plant, we must first understand better the folding as well as assembly process. The most abundant enzyme on Earth is ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco), and autotrophic organisms use it to transform CO2 into organic molecules through the Calvin-Benson route (Andersson and Backlund, 2008). Rubisco catalyses photosynthesizing decarbonisation as well as photorespiratory carbon oxidation in the presence of its substrate’s ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate and CO2 or O2. Due to the sheer bad catalytic characteristic of Rubisco CO2 fixation, this enzyme must be abundant.
RUBISCO
Rubisco evolved prior to the oxygenation of the environment when there’s no need to distinguish between O2 and CO2. Rubisco also catalyses a non-productive oxygenation reaction, which results in the formation of 2-phosphoglycolate (2PG). Because 2PG is a toxic compound, it is reprocessed in plants through a time-consuming and energy-inefficient process known as photorespiration. As the concentration of O2 in the atmosphere increased, Rubisco was forced to reduce its catalytic rate, achieving Pareto’s optimal solution of enzymatic activity and specificity. The evolutionary adaptations ultimately resulted in the formation of the “Rubiscosome,” a multi-faceted complex of proteins that aid in Rubisco’s development and function. Rubisco was developed to build multiple oligomeric structures and cooperate with particular chaperones and activates during this process. The Rubisco family of proteins is divided into three types. The most primitive form of III Rubisco, found in archaea, catalyses the regeneration of Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate, which is produced during nucleotide metabolism. Forms II and I, on the other hand, evolved to catalyse Rubisco oxygenation or carboxylation in an autotrophic, photosynthetic environment. Rubiscos of Form II are found in dinoflagellates and bacteria, whereas Rubiscos of Form I are found in plants, algae, cyanobacteria and proteobacteria.
Characteristics of RUBISCO
There are certain characteristics of RUBISCO such as:
- RuBisCO is found in photosynthetic protists, algae, plants and some autotrophic bacteria like cyanobacteria and proteobacteria.
- The most plentiful protein in the biosphere is RuBisCO. It accounts for approximately 30% and 50% of soluble solid leaf nutrients in C4 and C3 plants, respectively.
- RuBisCO is found in mesophyll cells in C3 plants but not in bunch sheath cells in C4 plants.
- It is a large and complex protein with small and large chains. The molecular weight is approximately 540,000 Da.
- In general, there are eight large chains which form four dimers and eight small chains. The large chain contains an active location for the substrate. Large subunits are the only ones found in some bacteria and dinoflagellates.
Functions of RUBISCO
Functions of RUBISCO are:
- RuBisCO’s primary function is photosynthesis and photorespiration.
- It catalyses the very first step in the Calvin cycle or C3 pathway, namely the carboxylation of RuBP. This results in formation of two 3-PGA molecules.
- RuBisCO has oxygen affinity, so it unites to some O, during the photorespiration process. It converts RuBP to one molecule of each phosphoglycerate and phosphoglycolate.
- Because RuBisCO has a much stronger affinity for CO2 when compared to O2, photosynthesis is favoured over photorespiration.
Conclusion
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase is the full name of this enzyme. The rate-limiting move within the Calvin-Benson cycle, which converts atmospheric carbon into biologically useful carbon, is catalysed by RUBISCO. Because of Rubisco’s slow catalytic rate and low specificity, large quantities of this enzyme must be produced. To build a more efficient Rubisco plant, we must first better understand the folding and assembly processes. RuBisCO, as the title suggests, is a carboxylase and an oxygenase. When molecular oxygen is used as the substrate, photorespiration occurs, which directly converts RuBP to one particle of phosphoglycerate and phosphoglycolate. The most abundant protein in the biosphere is ribulose bisphosphate Carboxylase-Oxygenase, or RuBisCO. During photosynthesis, it catalyses the very first step of the photosynthetic process in the Calvin cycle. It is the widespread carbon fixation pathway in all plants, including C3, C4 and CAM plants.