This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bollivar, D. W. Articles by Beale, S. I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Bollivar, D. W. Articles by Beale, S. I.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

J. Bacteriol., Oct 1995, 5778-5783, Vol 177, No. 20
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology

Anaerobic protoporphyrin biosynthesis does not require incorporation of methyl groups from methionine

DW Bollivar, T Elliott and SI Beale
Division of Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912, USA.

It was recently reported (H. Akutsu, J.-S. Park, and S. Sano, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 115:12185-12186, 1993) that in the strict anaerobe Desulfovibrio vulgaris methyl groups from exogenous L-methionine are incorporated specifically into the 1 and 3 positions (Fischer numbering system) on the heme groups of cytochrome c3. It was suggested that under anaerobic conditions, protoporphyrin IX biosynthesis proceeds via a novel pathway that does not involve coproporphyrinogen III as a precursor but instead may use precorrin-2 (1,3-dimethyluroporphyrinogen III), a siroheme and vitamin B12 precursor which is known to be derived from uroporphyrinogen III via methyl transfer from S-adenosyl-L- methionine. We have critically tested this hypothesis by examining the production of protoporphyrin IX-based tetrapyrroles in the presence of exogenous [14C]methyl-L-methionine under anaerobic conditions in a strict anaerobe (Chlorobium vibrioforme) and a facultative anaerobe (Rhodobacter capsulatus). In both organisms, 14C was incorporated into the bacteriochlorophyll precursor, Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester. However, most of the label was lost upon base hydrolysis of this compound to yield Mg-protoporphyrin IX. These results indicate that although the administered [14C]methyl-L-methionine was taken up, converted into S-adenosyl-L-methionine, and used for methyl transfer reactions, including methylation of the 6-propionate of Mg- protoporphyrin IX, methyl groups were not transferred to the porphyrin nucleus of Mg-protoporphyrin IX.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Platt, M. D., Schurr, M. J., Sauer, K., Vazquez, G., Kukavica-Ibrulj, I., Potvin, E., Levesque, R. C., Fedynak, A., Brinkman, F. S. L., Schurr, J., Hwang, S.-H., Lau, G. W., Limbach, P. A., Rowe, J. J., Lieberman, M. A., Barraud, N., Webb, J., Kjelleberg, S., Hunt, D. F., Hassett, D. J. (2008). Proteomic, Microarray, and Signature-Tagged Mutagenesis Analyses of Anaerobic Pseudomonas aeruginosa at pH 6.5, Likely Representing Chronic, Late-Stage Cystic Fibrosis Airway Conditions. J. Bacteriol. 190: 2739-2758 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Buchenau, B., Kahnt, J., Heinemann, I. U., Jahn, D., Thauer, R. K. (2006). Heme Biosynthesis in Methanosarcina barkeri via a Pathway Involving Two Methylation Reactions. J. Bacteriol. 188: 8666-8668 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Ishida, T., Yu, L., Akutsu, H., Ozawa, K., Kawanishi, S., Seto, A., Inubushi, T., Sano, S. (1998). A primitive pathway of porphyrin biosynthesis and enzymology in Desulfovibrio vulgaris. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95: 4853-4858 [Abstract] [Full Text]