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The CO2/O2 specificity of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

Dependence on ribulosebisphosphate concentration, pH and temperature

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Abstract

The substrate specificity factor, V cKo/VoKc, of spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase was determined at ribulosebisphosphate concentrations between 0.63 and 200 μM, at pH values between 7.4 and 8.9, and at temperatures in the range of 5° C to 40° C. The CO2/O2 specificity was the same at all ribulosebisphosphate concentrations and largely independent of pH. With increasing temperature, the specificity decreased from values of about 160 at 5° C to about 50 at 40° C. The primary effects of temperature were on K c [Km(CO2)] and V c [Vmax (CO2)], which increased by factors of about 10 and 20, respectively, over the temperature range examined. In contrast, K o [Ki (O2)] was unchanged and V o [Vmax (O2)] increased by a factor of 5 over these temperatures. The CO2 compensation concentrations (Γ) were calculated from specificity values obtained at temperatures between 5° C and 40° C, and were compared with literature values of Γ. Quantitative agreement was found for the calculated and measured Γ values. The observations reported here indicate that the temperature response of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase kinetic parameters accounts for two-thirds of the temperature dependence of the photorespiration/photosynthesis ratio in C3 plants, with the remaining one-third the consequence of differential temperature effects on the solubilities of CO2 and O2.

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Abbreviations

RuBPC/O(ase):

ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

RuBP:

ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate

Γ:

CO2 compensation concentration

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Author notes

  1. Douglas B. Jordan

    Present address: Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 53706, Madison, WI, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Agronomy, University of Illinois, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA

    Douglas B. Jordan & William L. Ogren

  2. Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 61801, Urbana, IL, USA

    Douglas B. Jordan & William L. Ogren

Authors
  1. Douglas B. Jordan
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  2. William L. Ogren
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Jordan, D.B., Ogren, W.L. The CO2/O2 specificity of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Planta 161, 308–313 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398720

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00398720

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