Was photosynthetic RuBisCO recruited by acquisitive evolution from RuBisCO-like proteins involved in sulfur metabolism?

Genome analyses have revealed that the genomes of non-photosynthetic bacteria including Bacillus subtilis code for proteins similar to the large subunit of RuBisCO (called RuBisCO-like protein (RLP)). This raises a fundamental question as to their functional relationship to photosynthetic RuBisCO. Recently, we identified the RLP of B. subtilis as the 2,3-diketo-5-methylthiopentyl-1-phosphate enolase in the methionine salvage pathway. In this mini-review, we suggest functional and evolutionary links between B. subtilis RLP and photosynthetic RuBisCO. Furthermore, we propose that photosynthetic RuBisCOs evolved from RLPs similar to that found in B. subtilis.