title: Reflections on the discovery of nature's pathways to vitamin B12.
abstract: The chronology of the discoveries along the pathway of vitamin B12 biosynthesis is reviewed from a personal perspective, including discussion of the most recent finding that two pathways to B12 exist--one aerobic and one anaerobic--which differ mainly in the ring contraction mechanisms which convert porphyrin to corrin.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biological NMR, Chemistry Department, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-3255, USA. scott@mail.chem.tamu.edu
authors.forename: A I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Scott
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12