Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

The Calvin Benson Cycle

The Calvin Benson Cycle

Ribulose 1,5- bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) is a critical enzyme that catalyzes carbon dioxide assimilation during photosynthesis. However, it is an inefficient enzyme, having an extremely slow catalytic rate. A typical enzyme can process about a thousand molecules per second; however, RuBisCo fixes only around three-carbon dioxides per second. Photosynthetic cells compensate for this slow rate by synthesizing very high amounts of RuBisCo, making it the most abundant single...

Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches

Transcriptional Regulation: Riboswitches

Riboswitches are RNA elements that regulate gene expression by altering their secondary structures in response to specific effector molecules. These elements, located in the leader regions of certain mRNAs, act as transcriptional regulators by toggling between alternative conformations to control downstream gene expression. Riboswitch-mediated regulation is a precise mechanism for modulating biosynthetic pathways, as exemplified by the riboflavin biosynthesis pathway in Bacillus...

The Calvin Cycle

The Calvin Cycle

Carbon-dioxide Fixation

Carbon-dioxide Fixation

Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...

Riboswitches

Riboswitches

Riboswitches are non-coding mRNA domains that regulate the transcription and translation of downstream genes without the help of proteins. Riboswitches bind directly to a metabolite and can form unique stem-loop or hairpin structures in response to the amount of the metabolite present. They have two distinct regions – a metabolite-binding aptamer and an expression platform.
The aptamer has high specificity for a particular metabolite which allows riboswitches to specifically regulate...

Ribozymes

Ribozymes

The term ribozyme is used for RNA that can act as an enzyme. Ribozymes are mainly found in selected viruses, bacteria, plant organelles, and lower eukaryotes. Ribozymes were first discovered in 1982 when Tom Cech’s laboratory observed Group I introns acting as enzymes. This was shortly followed by the discovery of another ribozyme, Ribonulcease P, by Sid Altman’s laboratory. Both Cech and Altman received the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1989 for their work on ribozymes.
Ribozymes can...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Structural basis for independent pore function of Vpb4 from Bacillus thuringiensis.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Jumbo circular extrachromosomal elements of methane-oxidizing archaea with variably extensive metabolic and defense gene repertoires.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

Diversity-driven biochemical survey reveals widespread dimerization throughout the rubisco superfamily.

Nature communications·2026

Same author

New lineages provide insights into the convergent evolution of extreme salt adaptation within symbiotic Archaea.

Molecular biology and evolution·2026

Same author

Polyphosphate acts as an architectural regulator of carbon fixation and nucleoid structure in cyanobacteria.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

High-throughput characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis gene function across diverse conditions.

PLoS biology·2026

Same journal

Lactate as a Chemical Modification on Proteins and Metabolites.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

Same journal

Nucleocytoplasmic Transport.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

Same journal

Packaging of Single-Stranded RNA in Viruses and Virus-Like Particles.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

Same journal

Shaping of the Infant Gut Microbiome by Milk Oligosaccharides.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

Same journal

Proteostasis Deregulation by Metabolism Drives the Hallmarks of Cancer.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

Same journal

JoAnne Stubbe's Radical Path: A Story of Passion, Curiosity, and Persistence.

Annual review of biochemistry·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 31, 2025

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Photorespiratory Mutants by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Photorespiratory Mutants by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis

Published on: December 9, 2022

Rubisco Function, Evolution, and Engineering.

Noam Prywes¹, Naiya R Phillips², Owen T Tuck³

¹Innovative Genomics Institute, University of California, Berkeley, California, USA;

Annual Review of Biochemistry

|May 1, 2023

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

The Calvin-Benson-Bassham cycle

Keywords:

Calvin cycle carbon fixation carboxylases enzyme engineering rubisco

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Plant Structure-Function Relationships for Climate-Resilient Crops

Author Spotlight: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Plant Structure-Function Relationships for Climate-Resilient Crops

Published on: July 12, 2024

Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production

Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production

Published on: September 20, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 31, 2025

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Photorespiratory Mutants by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis

Evaluation of Photosynthetic Efficiency in Photorespiratory Mutants by Chlorophyll Fluorescence Analysis

Published on: December 9, 2022

Author Spotlight: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Plant Structure-Function Relationships for Climate-Resilient Crops

Author Spotlight: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Plant Structure-Function Relationships for Climate-Resilient Crops

Published on: July 12, 2024

Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production

Genetic Engineering of an Unconventional Yeast for Renewable Biofuel and Biochemical Production

Published on: September 20, 2016

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Plant Science
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Carbon fixation converts atmospheric CO2 into biomass.
The Calvin-Benson-Bassham (CBB) cycle is Earth's primary carbon assimilation pathway.
Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rubisco) is the key enzyme in the CBB cycle.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the evolutionary and biochemical factors limiting rubisco's catalytic efficiency.
To understand the trade-offs inherent in rubisco's mechanism.
To review efforts aimed at improving rubisco for enhanced plant growth.

Main Methods:

Review of evolutionary history of rubisco.
Analysis of rubisco's biochemical mechanisms.
Examination of structure-function relationships.
Survey of protein engineering approaches.

Main Results:

Rubisco's slow catalytic rate is a bottleneck in carbon fixation.
Hypothesized trade-offs in rubisco's mechanism limit its catalytic improvement.
Rubisco variants are likely optimized for specific environmental conditions.

Conclusions:

Understanding rubisco's limitations is crucial for improving carbon fixation.
Evolutionary constraints and physiological trade-offs shape rubisco's function.
Targeted engineering holds potential for enhancing rubisco and plant productivity.