Inactivation and dissociation of rice ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase during denaturation by sodium dodecyl sulfate

Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) is a key enzyme in photosynthesis and photorespiration. The inactivation and subsequent conformational changes and dissociation of rice Rubisco by SDS have been studied. At low SDS concentrations (0.4 mM), Rubisco completely lost its carboxylase activity and most of its sulfhydryl groups became exposed. Dissociation of small subunits and significant conformational changes occurred at higher SDS concentrations. Increasing SDS concentrations caused only slight changes in CD spectrum, indicating no significant effect of SDS on the secondary structure of the enzyme. The results prove that the active site of Rubisco is more fragile to denaturants than the protein as a whole. The results also suggest that small subunits are more liable to SDS denaturation and thus dissociate first, while the more hydrophobic large subunits remain complexed. The naturally existing hydrophobic surface of Rubisco may be an important factor in the interaction of Rubisco with other macromolecules.