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Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and RuBisCO-like protein (RLP) from Bacillus subtilis catalyze mechanistically similar enolase reactions. Both enzymes require carbamylation of the ε-amino group of the active site lysine during activation to generate the binding site of the essential Mg(2+) ion. His267 forms a possible hydrogen bond with the carbamate of the active site Lys176 in B. subtilis RLP. This active site histidine is completely conserved in RLPs and RuBisCO. H267Q, H267N and H267A mutant enzymes required higher CO(2) concentrations for maximal activity than wild-type enzyme, suggesting that the histidine is involved in high affinity for activator CO(2) in Bacillus RLP. These mutations showed weak effects on the catalysis of RLP, whereas this residue is reportedly essential for catalysis in RuBisCO but is not involved in the carbamylation. The different functions of the active site histidine in RLP and RuBisCO are discussed.

Arginine residues of spinach ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) were chemically modified with phenylglyoxal (PhG). PhG inactivated Rubisco with a half-time of 20–25 min. An inclusion of a catalytic product, 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA), protected Rubisco from inactivation and delayed the half-time to 60–90 min. Peptide mapping and sequencing of Rubisco modified for 60 min with radiolabeled PhG in the presence of 10 mM PGA revealed that Arg187, Arg258, and Arg431 of the large subunit were modified. The extent and rate of the decline in activity during catalysis (fallover phenomenon) were reduced by the modification. This is the first report identifying PhG-modified arginine residues and to demonstrate the effect of the modification of arginine residues on the kinetics of fallover.

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) and RuBisCO-like protein (RLP) catalyze similar enolase-type reactions. Both enzymes have a conserved non-catalytic Lys122 or Arg122 on the beta-strand E lying in the interface between the N- and C-terminal domains. We used site-directed mutagenesis to analyze the function of Lys122 in the form II Rhodospirillum rubrum RuBisCO (RrRuBisCO) and Bacillus subtilis RLP (BsRLP). The K122R mutant of RrRuBisCO had a 40% decrease in k(cat) for carboxylase activity, a 2-fold increase in K(m) for CO2, and a 1.9-fold increase in K(m) for ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate. K122M and K122E mutants of RrRuBisCO were almost inactive. None of the substitutions affected the thermal stability of RrRuBisCO. The K122R mutant of BsRLP had a 32% decrease in k(cat) and lower thermal stability than the wild-type enzyme. The K122M and K122E mutants of BsRLP failed to form a catalytic dimer. Our results suggest that the lysine residue is essential for function in both enzymes, although in each case, its role is likely distinct.

Wild watermelon (Citrullus lanatus sp.) has the ability to tolerate severe drought/high light stress conditions despite carrying out normal C3-type photosynthesis. Here, mRNA differential display was employed to isolate drought-responsive genes in the leaves of wild watermelon. One of the isolated genes, CLMT2, shared significant homology with type-2 metallothionein (MT) sequences from other plants. The second-order rate constant for the reaction between a recombinant CLMT2 protein and hydroxyl radicals was estimated to be 1.2 x 10(11) M(-1) s(-1), demonstrating that CLMT2 had an extraordinary high activity for detoxifying hydroxyl radicals. Moreover, hydroxyl radical-catalyzed degradation of watermelon genomic DNA was effectively suppressed by CLMT2 in vitro. This is the first demonstration of a plant MT with antioxidant properties. The results suggest that CLMT2 induction contributes to the survival of wild watermelon under severe drought/high light stress conditions.

Strongly carboxylase-specific ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) was found in Galdieria partita and Cyanidium caldarium (Cyanidiophyceae). The relative specificity, V c K o / V o K c , of Galdieria and Cyanidium RuBisCO was 238 and 222, respectively; 2.4 to 2.5-fold that of higher plant RuBisCOs. The apparent K m of RuBisCO from the thermophilic red algae for CO 2 was 6 to 7 μ m and the smallest of the values reported so far for other RuBisCOs. The pre-rhodophyte Porphiridium purpureum, which lives at moderate temperatures, had RuBisCO with the relative specificity value of 144. A large difference (5.2 kcal·mol −1 ) in the activation energies between the carboxylase and oxygenase activities in Galdieria RuBisCO was a cause of the strong specificity for the carboxylase activity.

The form of inorganic carbon accumulated in Euglena gracilis cells was determined. Euglena cell protein bound 0.96 nmol CO2/mg protein. The binding of CO2 was by the formation of protein carbamate as indicated by acid lability of the protein-CO2 complex, stimulation of complex formation by high ionic strength and the carbamate resonance in 13C-NMR spectrum. The protein carbamate could also be isolated from photosynthesizing Euglena. The formation of the carbamate required light energy fixed photosynthetically.

In the assay of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) in vitro, the concentration of CO2, the substrate of the enzyme, has been calculated from the amount of sodium bicarbonate added to the assay mixture with a dissociation constant of carbonic acid in pure water, 6.35 to 6.37. However, Rubisco is generally assayed at ionic strength of 0.1 to 0.2 M, where the dissociation constant decreases up to 6.06. The decrease of this level of the constant reduces the calculated CO2 concentration in the assay mixture to about half and accordingly the Kms of Rubisco for CO2 reported so far are not correct. The present report presents a nomograph and an equation, from which dissociation constants of carbonic acid in the presence of various concentrations of salts can be easily calculated.