Chlorophyllase and Formation of an Atypical Chlorophyllide in Marine Algae

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Abstract
Certain marine algae were found to possess highly active systems for the conversion of chlorophyll a to chlorophyllide derivatives. These included the diatoms Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Skeletonema costatum, Thallasiosira sp., a green flagellate Dunaliella tertiolecta, and a chrysomonad, Sphaleromantis sp. Two chlorophyllides were obtained from the diatom P. tricornutum. One possessed a spectrum identical with chlorophyll a and therefore resembled the normal chlorophyllide of higher plants. The other chlorophyllide showed a higher absorbance in the Soret band region from chlorophyll a (E429 m[mu];E660 m[mu] =1.44), and an inflection at 415 m[mu] replaced the minor peak or chlorophyll a at 410 m[mu]. Chemical and chromatographic analysis indicated that the atypical chlorophyllide contained a free hydroxyl group of alcohol or enol type. The position of this group in the molecule is discussed.