title: Biosynthesis of phycobilins. Formation of the chromophore of phytochrome, phycocyanin and phycoerythrin.
abstract: Phycobiliproteins play important roles in photomorphogenesis and photosynthesis. The light-absorbing chromophores of the phycobiliproteins are linear tetrapyrroles (bilins) very similar in structure to the mammalian bile pigments. 5-Aminolaevulinate (5-ALA) is the first committed intermediate in phycobilin synthesis. The biosynthesis of 5-ALA, destined for phycobilins, occurs via the five-carbon pathway, now well established for tetrapyrrole synthesis in plants and distinct from the mammalian pathway. The phycobilins are formed by reduction of biliverdin which results from the synthesis and degradation of haem. This haem is an essential intermediate in the biosynthesis of phycobilins. Phycocyanobilin, the blue-green pigment found in certain algae and cyanobacteria, is formed from biliverdin via phytochromobilin, the chromophore of phytochrome. This leads to the likelihood that phytochromobilin is formed as an end product, or intermediate, in the synthesis of all phycobilins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Leeds, U.K.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Houghton
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Vernon
mesh_terms: D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D056890:Eukaryota / Q000378:metabolism; D052980:Phycobilins; D010798:Phycocyanin / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010799:Phycoerythrin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010834:Phytochrome / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D011758:Pyrroles / Q000378:metabolism*; D045725:Tetrapyrroles
chemical_list: D052980:Phycobilins; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D010940:Plant Proteins; D011758:Pyrroles; D045725:Tetrapyrroles; D010798:Phycocyanin; D010799:Phycoerythrin; D010834:Phytochrome; C011069:phycocyanobilin; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid