Ribulose diphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. III. Isolation and properties

Enzyme-Catalyzed Side Reactions with Molecular Oxygen may Contribute to Cell Signaling and Neurodegenerative Diseases

A link between neurodegeneration and well-characterized enzymatic and non-enzymatic reactions that produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) from O(2) is well established. Several enzymes that contain pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) or thiamine diphosphate (ThDP) catalyze side reactions (paracatalytic reactions) in the presence of ambient O(2). These side reactions produce oxidants such as hydrogen peroxide [H(2)O(2)] or extremely reactive peracids [RC(O)OOH]. We hypothesize that although these enzymes normally produce oxidants at low or undetectable levels, changes in substrate levels or disease-induced structural alterations may enhance interactions with O(2), thereby generating higher levels of reactive oxidants. These oxidants may damage the enzymes producing them, alter nearby macromolecules and/or destroy important metabolites/coenzymes. We propose that paracatalytic reactions with O(2) catalyzed by PLP-dependent decarboxylases and by ThDP-dependent enzymes within the alpha-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes may contribute to normal cellular signaling and to cellular damage in neurodegenerative diseases.

Thylakoid dismantling of damaged unfunctional chloroplasts modulates the Cab and RbcS gene expression in wheat leaves

Thylakoid membrane dismantling and Lhcb and RbcS nuclear gene expression have been analysed in leaves of wheat plants grown in high fluence rate light and deprived of photoprotective carotenoids by treatments with the two bleaching herbicides, either norflurazon or amitrole. The Lhcb transcript was not detectable in cells of norflurazon-supplied leaves, having chloroplasts totally devoid of both inner membranes and pigments. In contrast, a substantial amount of Lhcb mRNA could be found in cells of amitrole-treated leaves, whose severely damaged organelles still contained few strikingly altered and photosynthetically unfunctional thylakoids, as well as chlorophyll traces. A possible relationship between chlorophyll synthesis and Lhcb expression, with the transcript level depending on the rate of pigment production in photodamaged chloroplasts is discussed. Also the RbcS expression was linked to the chloroplast membrane photodamage. However, a detectable level of transcript was still produced in norflurazon-treated cells, despite complete thylakoid demolition. Thus, the wheat cell behaviour had to be placed between that of species, such as maize, in which the RbcS expression is broken off in these conditions, and that of species, such as pea, in which it is slightly lowered. Interestingly, the dramatically photodamaged chloroplasts still maintained the ability to synthesize proteins and this allowed SSU and LSU Rubisco subunits to be found in the organelles of both norflurazon- and amitrole-treated plants.

Immobilization of D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase: a step toward carbon dioxide fixation bioprocess

Immobilization of D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) from spinach leaves is described. This enzyme enables the fixation of carbon dioxide on a five-carbon sugar D-ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP). Two different immobilization methods were employed: dicyclohexylcarbodiimide coupling on nylon membrane matrix and dimethylpimelimidate immobilization on protein A agarose. The reusability of immobilized enzymes, coupling efficiency, and temperature-activity relationship of soluble and immobilized Rubisco are presented. The immobilization imparted greater thermal and storage stability. The thermal deactivation rates of the immobilized enzymes were considerably lower than those of the soluble enzyme.

Isolation, characterization, and crystallization of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase from autotrophically grown Rhodospirillum rubrum

Serial culture of Rhodospirillum rubrum with 2% CO2 in H2 as the exclusive carbon source resulted in a rather large fraction of the soluble protein (greater than 40%) being comprised of ribulosebisphosphate carboxylase (about sixfold higher than the highest value previously reported). Isolation of the enzyme from these cells revealed that it has physical and kinetic properties similar to those previously described for the enzyme derived from cells grown on butyrate. Notably, the small subunit (which is a constituent of the carboxylase from eucaryotes and most procaryotes) was absent in the enzyme from autotrophically grown R. rubrum. Edman degradation of the purified enzyme revealed that the NH2 terminus is free (in contrast to the catalytic subunit of the carboxylase from eucaryotes) and that the NH2-terminal sequence is Met-Asp-Gln-Ser-Ser-Arg-Tyr-Val-Asn-Leu-Ala-Leu-Lys-Glu-Glu-Asp-Leu-Ile-Ala-Gly-Gly-Glx-His-Val-Leu-. Crystals of the enzyme were readily obtained by dialysis against distilled water.