Open Access5-Aminolevulinic acid synthesis in Escherichia coli requires expression of hemA
Author(s) -
Wei Chen,
C. S. Russell,
Y Murooka,
Sharon D. Cosloy
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
journal of bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.652
H-Index - 246
eISSN - 1067-8832
pISSN - 0021-9193
DOI - 10.1128/jb.176.9.2743-2746.1994
Subject(s) - biology , escherichia coli , plasmid , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , gene
hemA and hemM, which are 213 bp apart and divergently transcribed, were separately cloned. We found that hemA is required for 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) synthesis in two ALA- auxotrophs. Overexpression of hemM alone did not produce ALA. More ALA was produced by strains harboring a plasmid with both hemA and hemM than by those with hemA alone. We conclude that hemA alone is required for ALA synthesis but hemA and hemM are required for maximal ALA synthesis.