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Cloning, sequencing and functional assignment of the chlorophyll biosynthesis gene, chlP , of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Author(s) -
Addlesee Hugh A.,
Gibson Lucien C.D.,
Jensen Poul E.,
Hunter C.Neil
Publication year - 1996
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(96)00549-2
Subject(s) - synechocystis , geranylgeraniol , rhodobacter , rhodobacter sphaeroides , biochemistry , mutant , biosynthesis , phytol , heterologous expression , chemistry , gene , photosynthesis , biology , enzyme , recombinant dna
A gene from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 has been cloned and sequenced, and subsequently used to partially complement a bchP mutant of the purple photosynthetic bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides . This mutant is blocked in the terminal hydrogenation steps of bchl a biosynthesis and possesses only bchl esterified with geranylgeraniol. It also has a reduced cellular level of the light‐harvesting LH2 complex, and the 850 nm absorbance maximum of LH2 is red‐shifted by approximately 6 nm. Upon heterologous expression of the Synechocystis bchP homologue, not only are hydrogenated forms of bchl a GG detectable, but the level of LH2 is increased and the red‐shift reversed by several nm. We conclude that this gene, which we term chlP , encodes the enzyme catalysing the stepwise hydrogenation of geranylgeraniol to phytol during chla biosynthesis.