A FACILE METHOD TO DETERMINE THE CO2 O2 SPECIFICITY FACTOR FOR RIBULOSE-BISPHOSPHATE CARBOXYLASE OXYGENASE/

A rapid method to determine the CO2/O2 specificity factor of ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase is presented. The assay measure s the amount of CO2 and O2 fixation at varying CO2/O2 ratios to determ ine the relative rates of each reaction. CO2 fixation is measured by t he incorporation of the moles of (CO2)-C-14 into 3-phosphoglycerate, w hile O2 fixation is determined by subtraction of the moles of CO2 fixe d from the moles of RuBP consumed in each reaction. By analyzing the i norganic phosphate specifically hydrolyzed from RuBP under alkaline co nditions, the amount of RuBP present before and after catalysis by rub isco can be determined.