Biosc

1000

Sample Problems Lecture 14

1.Which processes of photosynthesis occur only in the light? Which processes do not
require light?

Photosynthesis consists of a pathway that harvests light energy and transforms it in to
chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH (Z-scheme) plus a pathway that uses ATP
and NADPH to make glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate from CO2. Light is only required for the
Z-scheme, the reactions of the Calvin cycle can proceed in the dark as long as ATP and
NADPH are present. There lies the rubhow long does the ATP & NADPH last in the dark?
Probably depends upon the plant.

2. Why does photorespiration, an energetically wasteful process, happen?

Firstly, evolution isnt worried about waste, just functionality. Photorespiration
happens because rubisco can use O2 as a substrate, albeit not as effectively as it does
CO2. There may have been some adaptive purpose to photorespiration early in plant
evolution and it remains a vestigial function, not useful but also not selected against.

3. Some plants synthesize a sugar known as 2-carboxyarabinitol-1-phosphate. This
compound inhibits the activity of rubisco.

-2
a. What is the probable mechanism of action of this inhibitor

CH20P03

l

HOCCO2-
Resembles the transition state for the rubisco reaction, so it binds in

l
the active site of the enzyme
HCOH

l

HCOH
b. Plants make the inhibitor at night and break it down during

l
the
d
ay, Why?

CH2OH


The inhibitor is then available to prevent rubisco activity when levels
of ATP and NADPH are low but available when levels of these molecules are high.


4. The inner chloroplast membrane is impermeable to large polar and ionic compounds
such as NADPH and ATP. Thus, the membrane has a antiport protein that facilitates the
passage of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate out of the chloroplast in exchange for a
phosphate ion (Pi).What function does this transporter serve?

Moves the products of the Calvin cycle into the cytoplasm for synthesis into glucose and moves
phosphate into the chloroplast for ATP synthesis.

5. An activating CO2 reacts with a lysine side chain in rubisco to carboxylate it. The
carboxylation reaction is favored at high pH, why?

The unprotonated side chain can act as a nucleophile in the reaction with CO2

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