Boosting Carbon Capture: Progress in Enhancing RuBisCO’s Carboxylase Activity

Abstract

The Calvin-Benson Cycle serves as the primary carbon-fixation pathway in nearly all photosynthetic organisms. The enzyme, Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase (RuBisCO), is responsible for ‘fixing’ atmospheric CO2 into Ribulose-Bisphosphate (RuBP), the most vital and rate-limiting factor in this cycle. Enhancing this enzyme carbon fixing ability is crucial for advancing global food security and addressing climate change. RuBisCO catalyses nearly all carbon fixation on Earth; however, RuBisCO is not a highly effective enzyme. The main contributing factor to its inefficiency is its oxygenase activity, which results in photorespiration instead of carbon fixation. Although many efforts have been made to enhance RuBisCO’s carbon fixing efficiency, significant advancements are still needed. In this study we examine the current understanding of RuBisCO’s catalytic mechanism, its complex oxygenase activity, evolutionary trade-offs, and new developments in RuBisCO engineering