Uptake of protoporphyrin and continuous spectrophotometric assay for magnesium chelatase in Rhodobacter spheroides.

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Abstract
Uptake of protoporphyrin was shown by Rhodobacter spheroides under anaerobic conditions in the dark. The process was not energy-dependent but required EGTA and was markedly stimulated by Methyl Viologen. Kinetic studies were consistent with a saturable process with Kd = 5-10 microM and Bmax. = 2.2 nmol of protoporphyrin bound/mg dry weight of cells. Bound protoporphyrin could be converted into magnesium protoporphyrin monomethyl ester under anaerobic conditions in the light or at low pO2 (6.3%) in the dark. This formed the basis of a sensitive continuous spectrophotometric assay for magnesium chelatase, which avoids the need to extract the product into organic solvent, and may facilitate the development of a cell-free system for magnesium chelatase in photosynthetic bacteria. It is proposed also that the uptake mechanism shown for exogenous protoporphyrin may indicate the existence of a ligand or carrier system for endogenously produced protoporphyrin essential for magnesium chelatase activity.