J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 261, Issue 26, 12184-12188, Sep, 1986
Three partial reactions of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase require both large and small subunits
TJ Andrews, GH Lorimer and J Pierce
Three partial reactions of ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase were
measured in the presence and absence of small subunits using the enzyme
from the cyanobacterium, Synechococcus ACMM 323, whose small subunits may
be reversibly dissociated from its octameric, large- subunit core. These
partial reactions were: the exchange of the proton at C-3 of the substrate,
ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate, with the medium which is indicative of C-2, C-3
enolization; the hydrolysis of the 6- carbon reaction intermediate,
3-keto-2-carboxy-D-arabinitol 1,5- bisphosphate, to two molecules of
3-phosphoglycerate; and the decarboxylation of the 6-carbon intermediate,
which is catalyzed only by the deactivated, divalent metal-ion-free
carboxylase. None of these partial reactions was catalyzed by the
small-subunit-depleted, large- subunit octamer to an extent greater than
that expected from the residual small subunit content (about 3%), implying
that small subunits are required for all three reactions. Clearly, the
small subunit's influence is not restricted to any single stage of the
catalytic sequence. Under conditions where it was possible to demonstrate
tight binding of the reaction-intermediate analog, 2-carboxy-D-arabinitol
1,5- bisphosphate, to the large-subunit octamer, no binding of the 6-carbon
intermediate could be detected. We suggest that either the tight- binding
form of the 6-carbon intermediate is the hydrated gem-diol, not the ketone,
or the large subunits by themselves intrinsically possess a trace of
catalytic activity which discharges any bound intermediate before it can be
measured.