Journal Article

Co- and post-translational modifications in Rubisco: unanswered questions

Nayak, Nihar R., Dirk, Lynnette M. A., Houtz, Robert L., Magnani, Roberta

2008

Overview

Both the large (LS) and small (SS) subunits of Rubisco are subject to a plethora of co- and post-translational modifications. With the exceptions of LS carbamylation and SS transit sequence processing, the remaining modifications, including deformylation, acetylation, methylation, and N-terminal proteolytic processing of the LS, are still biochemically and/or functionally undefined although they are found in nearly all forms of Rubisco from vascular plants. A collection of relatively unique enzymes catalyse these modifications, and several have been characterized in other organisms. Some of the observed modifications in the LS and SS clearly suggest novel changes in enzyme specificity and/or activity, and others have common features with other co- and post-translationally modifying enzymes. With the possible exception of Lys14 methylation in the LS, processing of both the LS and SS of Rubisco is by default an ordered process sequentially leading up to the final forms observed in the holoenzyme. An overview of the nature of structural modifications in the LS and SS of Rubisco is presented, and, where possible, the nature of the enzymes catalysing these modifications (either through similarity with other known enzymes or through direct enzymological characterization) is described. Overall, there are a distinct lack of functional and mechanistic observations for modifications in Rubisco and thus represent many potentially productive avenues for research.

• Publisher: Oxford University Press,Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subject: Acetylation / Amino Acid Sequence / Biochemistry / chemistry / Chloroplasts / Co-translational processing / dipeptidase / Enzymes / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant - physiology / genetics / Histones / metabolism / methionine aminopeptidase / Methylation / Nα-acetyltransferase / peptide deformylase / physiology / Plants / Post translational modification / post-translational processing / Protein Biosynthesis / Protein Processing, Post-Translational / Protein Processing, Post-Translational - physiology / Protein Subunits / Proteins / proteolysis / ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase / Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - chemistry / Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - genetics / Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase - metabolism / Rubisco / SPECIAL ISSUE REVIEW PAPER / stromal processing peptidase / Substrate specificity / ϵN-methyltransferase