title: Biosynthesis of open-chain tetrapyrroles in Prochlorococcus marinus.
abstract: Members of the genus Prochlorococcus belong to the most abundant phytoplankton on earth. In contrast to other cyanobacteria, Prochlorococcus is characterized by divinyl-chlorophyll containing light-harvesting complexes and the lack of phycobilisomes. Despite the lack of phycobilisomes, all sequenced genomes of Prochlorococcus possess genes that putatively encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of open-chain tetrapyrrole molecules. Here, biochemical evidence is presented indicating that high-light- and low-light-adapted Prochlorococcus ecotypes possess genes encoding functional enzymes for the biosynthesis of open-chain tetrapyrrole molecules. Experiments on recombinant protein as well as through complementation studies of a cyanobacterial insertion mutant revealed the functionality of the bilin reductases investigated.
authors: Institute for Microbiology, Technical University Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
authors: Thorben
authors: T
authors: Dammeyer
authors: Kristin
authors: K
authors: Michaelsen
authors: Nicole
authors: N
authors: Frankenberg-Dinkel
mesh_terms: D001654:Bile Pigments / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005816:Genetic Complementation Test; D008027:Light; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D008954:Models, Biological; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010799:Phycoerythrin / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D010802:Phylogeny; D010957:Plasmids / Q000235:genetics; D048929:Prochlorococcus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000528:radiation effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D045725:Tetrapyrroles / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D001654:Bile Pigments; D045342:Light-Harvesting Protein Complexes; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D045725:Tetrapyrroles; D010799:Phycoerythrin; D010088:Oxidoreductases