The discovery of rubisco
Thomas D. Sharkey
Abstract
Rubisco is possibly the most important enzyme on Earth, certainly in terms of amount. This review describes the initial reports of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylating activity. Discoveries of core concepts are described, including its quaternary structure, the requirement for post-translational modification, and its role as an oxygenase as well as a carboxylase. Finally, the requirement for numerous chaperonins for assembly of rubisco in plants is described.
Topics & Concepts
RuBisCOChaperoninProtein quaternary structureRibuloseChemistryPyruvate carboxylaseOxygenaseBiochemistryEnzymeComputational biologyBiologyProtein foldingGeneProtein subunitPhotosynthetic Processes and MechanismsPlant biochemistry and biosynthesisPlant Gene Expression Analysis