Review: Rubisco activases: AAA+ chaperones adapted to enzyme repair

Rubisco, the fundamental enzyme required for photosynthetic carbon fixation, is susceptible to inactivation by the inhibitory binding of various metabolites. Rubisco activases (Rca’s) are enzymes that remodel Rubisco and facilitate the elimination of the inhibitor. All photosynthetic organisms have Rubisco activases that share a AAA+ domain. Bhat et al. review the structure and function of Rca enzymes found in prokaryotes and plants, and note that “the diversity of these enzymes provides a fascinating example of convergent evolution.” Front. Mol. Biosci. 10.3389/fmolb.2017.00020