The structure of form I crystals of D-ribulose-1,5-diphosphate carboxylase.

Single crystals of D-ribulose-l,&diphosphate carboxylase from tobacco leaves, Nicotiama tabacwn (variety Turkish Samsun), have been examined by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and optical diffraction. Twelve molecules are loosely packed into a body-centered cubic unit cell, space group 14r32 with cell dimension a = 383 A. The asymmetric unit is one quarter of a molecule, and the minimum molecular symmetry is 222. This symmetry when combined with estimates of the two subunit masses and stoichiometry is compatible with a molecular structure of the composition L&S8 (L is large subunit, S is small). If all bonds between large and small subunits are equivalent, the true molecular symmetry is 422 ; this symmetry is consistent with molecular images in micrographs.