In: Biology
Carbon dioxide has two important roles in the rubisco active site. What are these roles, and how do they differ from each other
Ans . Rubisco ( Ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) is an enzyme involved in the first major step of carbon fixation, a process by which the atmospheric carbon dioxide is converted by plants and other photosynthetic organisms to energy - rich molecules such as glucose.
Rubisco is a dominant contributer to conversion of gaseous carbon dioxide into biomass.
Aerobic life forms, including heterotrophs, primarily derive their carbon through an autotrophic / photosynthetic route using CO2 as a carbon source. Rubisco accomplish this task by incorporating CO2 into a phospho-sugar, ribulose 1,5 -bisphosphate (RuBP). Incorporation of CO2 into RuBP generates two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate. This simple compound is subsequently used to build other organic molecules of life.
Synthesized RuBisCO does not have a fully functional active site. It needs to be activated by a CO2 molecule that carbamylates its catalytic Lys to bind Mg2+ that completes the activation process.