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| Title | An unconventional Rubisco small subunit underpins the CO-concentrating organelle in land plants. |
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| Journal, issue, pages | Science, Vol. 391, Issue 6789, Page 1070-1075, Year 2026 |
| Publish date | Mar 5, 2026 |
Authors | Tanner A Robison / Yuwei Mao / Zhen Guo Oh / Warren S L Ang / Dan Hong Loh / Yu-Heng Hsieh / Maddie Ceminsky / Nicky Atkinson / Declan Lafferty / Xia Xu / Laura H Gunn / Alistair J McCormick / Fay-Wei Li / ![]() |
| PubMed Abstract | In many algae, photosynthesis is boosted by biophysical CO-concentrating mechanisms, which pack the CO-fixing enzyme Rubisco into liquid-like organelles called pyrenoids. Engineering C crops with ...In many algae, photosynthesis is boosted by biophysical CO-concentrating mechanisms, which pack the CO-fixing enzyme Rubisco into liquid-like organelles called pyrenoids. Engineering C crops with algal pyrenoids could increase yields, but progress is hampered by the deep evolutionary divide between crops and algae. Here, we show that hornworts, the only land plants with pyrenoids, have an unusual Rubisco small subunit, RbcS-STAR, the C-terminal coiled-coil domain of which oligomerizes to mediate Rubisco condensation. RbcS-STAR is incorporated into the Rubisco holoenzyme and thus acts as an "innate" Rubisco linker. Expression of RbcS-STAR in pyrenoid-lacking species, including , is sufficient to induce pyrenoid-like condensates. Our findings reveal a mechanism for Rubisco condensation and a potential route to introduce pyrenoids into crop plants. |
External links | Science / PubMed:41785357 |
| Methods | EM (single particle) |
| Resolution | 3.3 - 6.8 Å |
| Structure data | ![]() EMDB-70517: Anthoceros agrestis Rubisco (8 RbcL and 8 RbcS1) head to head stacking. ![]() EMDB-70520: A. agrestis Rubisco (8 RbcL 7 RbcS 1 RbcS-STAR) |
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Anthoceros agrestis (plant)