Effect of the PufQ protein on early steps in the pathway of bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis in Rhodobacter capsulatus

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The addition in trans of the pufQ gene to a strain of Rhodobacter capsulatus from which the entire puf operon had been deleted, increased its ability to synthesize coproporphyrinogen from both δ‐aminolevulinic acid and porphobilinogen. Studies at the enzyme level indicated that the conversion of porphobilinogen to uroporphyrinogen III had about a 2‐fold higher level of activity in the anaerobically‐grown pufQ‐containing strain. This increase in activity over the puf‐deletion strain appeared to occur during transitions from aerobic to semiaerobic growth conditions. These results indicated that the PufQ protein may exert a stimulatory effect quite early in the pathway of bacteriochlorophyll biosynthesis.