Discovery of unique modification to plant’s carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme could boost crops
Linker that joins up Rubisco cuts synthesis of toxic byproduct that plants pay a heavy energy price to deal with
A carbon dioxide-fixing enzyme with a modification unlike any other ever found in plants has been discovered. This modification has now been engineered into other plants and could help make photosynthesis in crop plants far more efficient, increasing yields and speeding growth.
Rubisco is an essential enzyme made of several subunits that work together to capture carbon dioxide, which plants then turn into sugars during photosynthesis. However, it suffers from a tendency to react with oxygen, creating a toxic byproduct, 2-phosphoglycolate.