title: The degradation of the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase into the 44-kDa fragment in the lysates of chloroplasts incubated in darkness.
abstract: Lysates of chloroplasts isolated from naturally senescing wheat leaves were incubated in darkness. The 44-kDa fragment, lacking the N-terminal-side portion of the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (LSU), was found by immunoblotting with the LSU site-specific antibodies. Analysis of its N-terminal amino acid sequence indicated that the LSU was specifically cleaved at the peptide bond between Phe-40 and Arg-41. The site was located on the surface of the molecule and faced outward. Such cleavage of the LSU has not been previously reported. It is indicated that the cleavage was triggered by an unknown protease existing in chloroplasts.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Nutrition and Function, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 1-1 Tsutsumidori-Amamiyamachi, Sendai, 981-8555 Japan.
authors.forename: Norimoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kokubun
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Amane
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.forename: Tadahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mae
mesh_terms: D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D003624:Darkness; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014908:Triticum / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D010450:Endopeptidases; D012273:Ribulose-Bisphosphate Carboxylase