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Bacteriochlorophyll c formation via the C 5 pathway of 5‐aminolevulinic acid synthesis in Chloroflexus aurantiacus
Author(s) -
Oh-hama Tamiko,
Santander Patricio J.,
Stolowich Neal J.,
Scott A.Ian
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(91)80386-h
Subject(s) - bacteriochlorophyll , chemistry , phototroph , biochemistry , photochemistry , biophysics , biology , photosynthesis
Biosynthesis of 5‐aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in Chloroflexus aurantiacus , a thermophilic bacterium forming bacterioclorophyll c , is shown to proceed via the C 5 pathway by demonstrating (1) the specific labeling of its chlorin ring with [1‐ 13 C] glutamate and (2) the enzyme activity to produce ALA from glutamate in a cell‐free extract. From the phylogenetic distribution it is suggested that ALA synthase distributed in some aerobic eubacteria could be monophyletic in origin.