The discovery of rubisco

This review describes the discovery of the enzyme responsible for the first step of converting carbon dioxide into sugars, and many of its properties. 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.

Automated summary

This review discusses the discovery of the enzyme responsible for the initial step of converting carbon dioxide into sugars and its properties. Rubisco is considered possibly the most important enzyme, especially in terms of quantity, on Earth. The review describes the key findings related to Rubisco, including its quaternary structure, the need for post-translational modification, and its dual role as an oxygenase and a carboxylase. Furthermore, the review highlights the significant requirement for chaperonins in the assembly of Rubisco in plants.