title: Bacteriochlorophyll c formation via the C5 pathway of 5-aminolevulinic acid synthesis in Chloroflexus aurantiacus.
abstract: Biosynthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) in Chloroflexus aurantiacus, a thermophilic bacterium forming bacteriochlorophyll c, is shown to proceed via the C5 pathway by demonstrating (1) the specific labeling of its chlorin ring with [1 - 13C]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 synthetase distributed in some aerobic eubacteria could be monophyletic in origin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-3225.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Oh-hama
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Santander
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Stolowich
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000378:metabolism*; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods; D015394:Molecular Structure
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001429:Bacteriochlorophylls; D005971:Glutamates; C002084:bacteriochlorophyll c; C068386:bacteriopheophorbide c methyl ester; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid