Can efficient algal variants of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, be folded and assembled in functional forms in higher-plant plastids?

光合CO2固定酶Rubisco的有效藻类变体能否在高等植物质体中折叠并组装成功能性形式？我们已经表明，有可能改变植物的光合表型可预测和深刻的工程质体基因组取代植物的CO2固定酶，Rubisco，与细菌同系物。因此，有可能用更有效的藻类Rubiscos替代植物酶，使植物在更少的光照、更少的水或更少的肥料下生长。在实现对植物表型的这种期望的改变之前，需要解决Rubisco亚基的修饰、折叠和组装的一些复杂问题。本建议针对这些问题。

Can efficient algal variants of the photosynthetic CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, be folded and assembled in functional forms in higher-plant plastids? We have shown that it is possible to alter the photosynthetic phenotype of a plant predictably and profoundly by engineering the plastid genome to replace the plant's CO2-fixing enzyme, Rubisco, with a bacterial homolog. Thus it may be possible to replace the plant enzyme with more efficient algal Rubiscos that would allow plants to grow with less light, less water or less fertiliser. Before such desirable changes to the plant phenotype can be realised, some complex issues of modification, folding and assembly of Rubisco subunits need to be resolved. This proposal addresses them.