The study, which was published in the journal Nature, focused on a group of bacteria called cyanobacteria. Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic bacteria that are responsible for producing about 20% of the oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. They use a special enzyme called ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) to fix carbon dioxide into organic compounds.
Rubisco is a complex enzyme that is made up of 16 protein subunits. In the study, the scientists were able to identify the genes that encode these subunits and to determine how they are regulated. They also discovered how the subunits are assembled into the final Rubisco enzyme.
This information could be used to engineer cyanobacteria that are more efficient at photosynthesis. This could in turn lead to the development of new biofuels and other products that are made from plant matter. It could also help to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis in plants and algae, which could help to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
"This study provides a new understanding of how bacteria build the essential carbon-fixing machinery that allows them to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds," said JBEI Director Jay Keasling. "This information could lead to new ways to improve the efficiency of photosynthesis in plants and algae, which could in turn help to reduce the levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere."
The study was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science and the National Science Foundation.
