Premium
5‐Aminolevulinic Acid: A Potential Herbicide/Insecticide from Microorganisms
Author(s) -
Sasikala Ch.,
Ramana Ch. V.,
Rao P. Raghuveer
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
biotechnology progress
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.572
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1520-6033
pISSN - 8756-7938
DOI - 10.1021/bp00029a001
Subject(s) - anoxygenic photosynthesis , microorganism , phototroph , bacteria , tetrapyrrole , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , chemistry , biochemistry , genetics , enzyme
5‐Aminolevulinic acid (ALA), an intermediate of the biological tetrapyrrole synthesis, can be used as a photodynamic herbicide/insecticide. Among the various microorganisms capable of its production, anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria produce ALA in considerable amounts, making it worthwhile to work toward commercial exploitation. Knowledge of the biochemical synthesis of ALA and its physiological and genetic regulation in microorganisms can enable the biotechnologist to manipulate them for enhancing ALA production for possible practical applications.