Study Finds Missing Link in the Evolutionary History of Carbon-Fixing Protein Rubisco

Andy Fell — August 31, 2020 - 10:49am

A team led by researchers at the University of California, Davis, has discovered a missing link in the evolution of photosynthesis and carbon fixation. Dating back more than 2.4 billion years, a newly discovered form of the plant enzyme rubisco could give new insight into plant evolution and breeding.

Rubisco is the most abundant enzyme on the planet. Present in plants, cyanobacteria (also known as blue-green algae) and other photosynthetic organisms, it’s central to the process of carbon fixation and is one of Earth’s oldest carbon-fixing enzymes.

Rubisco Content

Study Finds Missing Link in the Evolutionary History of Carbon-Fixing Protein Rubisco