title: Chloroplast biogenesis. Detection of monovinyl protochlorophyll(ide) b in plants.
abstract: The occurrence of protochlorophyllide b and protochlorophyllide b phytyl ester in green plants is described. The chemical structure of protochlorophyllide b phytyl ester was established by proton nuclear magnetic resonance, fast atom bombardment mass spectroscopic analysis, and chemical derivatization coupled to electronic spectroscopic analysis. The macrocycles of protochlorophyll(ide) b are identical to those of conventional protochlorophyll(ide) except for the presence of a formyl group instead of a methyl group at position 3 of the macrocycles. They differ from chlorophyll(ide) b by the presence of an oxidized double bond at positions 7 and 8 of the macrocycles. The trivial name protochlorophyll(ide) b is proposed to differentiate these two tetrapyrroles from conventional protochlorophyll(ide), which in turn will be referred to as protochlorophyll(ide) a. Protochlorophyll(ide) b appears to be widely distributed in green plants. Its molar extinction coefficients in 80% acetone and diethyl ether are reported. The impact of this discovery on the heterogeneity of the chlorophyll a and b biosynthetic pathways is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Plant Pigment Biochemistry and Photobiology, University of Illinois, Urbana 61801.
authors.forename: V P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Shedbalkar
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ioannides
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Rebeiz
mesh_terms: D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism*; D002736:Chloroplasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D004952:Esters / Q000032:analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010944:Plants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D011521:Protochlorophyllide / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; C070926:monovinyl protochlorophyllide b; D002734:Chlorophyll; D011521:Protochlorophyllide; C037184:chlorophyll b