Limit break of photosynthesis by improvement of RuBisCO functions

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26292193
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied molecular and cellular biology
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Ashida Hiroki 神戸大学, 人間発達環境学研究科, 准教授 (50362851)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 光合成 / CO2固定 / ルビスコ / アーキア / シアノバクテリア / 進化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We found methanogenic archaeal RuBisCO functions in the novel CO2 fixation pathway which has some different steps from the photosynthetic Calvin cycle, suggesting that this novel pathway should be the ancient Calvin cycle. Enzymatic analysis of hybrid RuBisCO created by swap of large and small subunits between thermophilic cyanobacteria RuBisCO with high CO2 specificity and mesophilic cyanobacteria RuBisCO revealed that small subunit was involved in CO2 specificity. Transplastomic tobacco with over expression of RuBisCO activase tends to be enhanced a photosynthetic CO2 fixation rate.

Free Research Field

光合成科学