High CO2 concentrations (HC) in air induce partial deactivation of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBPCO, EC 4.1.1.39). Under saturating irradiance, increase in [CO2] to 1 200 cm3 m-3 reduces the concentration of operating carboxylation centres by 20–30 %. At a further increase in [CO2], the activity remained on the same level. Under limiting irradiance, the lowest activity was reached at 600 cm3 (CO2) m-3. The presence of oxygen diminished deactivation, but O2 failed to stimulate reactivation under high CO2. Conditions that favour oxygenation of ribulose-1,5- bisphosphate (RuBP) facilitated reactivation. Even HC did not act as an inhibitor. HC induces deactivation of RuBPCO by increasing the concentration of free reaction centres devoid of the substrate, which are more vulnerable to inhibition than the centres filled with substrates or products. and J. Viil ... [et al.].