RuDP stands for ribulose diphosphate. It is an enzyme involved in carbon dioxide fixation during photosynthesis.
Ribulose diphosphate, specifically ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP), is a crucial five-carbon sugar involved in the first major step of the Calvin cycle, the process by which plants (and some bacteria) fix carbon dioxide to create sugars. The enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) catalyzes the carboxylation of RuBP. This process involves adding CO2 to RuBP, forming an unstable six-carbon intermediate that immediately splits into two molecules of 3-phosphoglycerate (3-PGA). 3-PGA is then further processed to create glucose and regenerate RuBP to continue the cycle.
In short, RuDP, as ribulose diphosphate, is key for fixing atmospheric carbon dioxide and transforming it into a usable form of energy for plants and other photosynthetic organisms.
