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Regulation of RuDP carboxylase/oxygenase activity and its relationship to plant photorespiration

Abstract

RIBULOSE 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (fraction 1 protein), the most abundant protein in nature, is a key photosynthetic enzyme catalysing the addition of CO2 to ribulose 1,5-diphosphate (RuDP) to form two molecules of phosphoglyceric acid (PGA). The enzyme also has a competitive oxygenase function catalysing the splitting of RuDP by O2 to form one molecule of PGA and one molecule of phosphoglycolate1–3. The latter function of this enzyme has been suggested to be the primary source of phosphogly-colate, the principal substrate for photorespiration5.

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KUNG, S., MARSHO, T. Regulation of RuDP carboxylase/oxygenase activity and its relationship to plant photorespiration. Nature 259, 325–326 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259325a0

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