The contribution of lysine-128 within the active site of Anacystis nidulans D-ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase was investigated by the characterization of mutants in which lysine-128 was replaced with arginine, glycine, glutamine, histidine or aspartic acid. Mutated genes encoding the Rubisco large subunit were expressed in Escherichia coli and the resultant polypeptides assembled into active complexes. All of the mutant enzymes had a lower affinity for ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) and lower rates of carboxylation. Substitution of lysine-128 with glutamine, histidine or aspartic acid decreased the specificity factor and led to the production of an additional monophosphate reaction product. We show that this product results from the loss of the phosphate from C-1 of RuBP, most probably by β-elimination from the 2,3-enediolate derivative of RuBP. The results confirm that lysine-128 is important in determining the position of the essential ε-amino group of lysine-334 within the active site and in loop dynamics. This further demonstrates that residues remote from the active site can be manipulated to modify catalytic function.