Biosynthesis of bacteriochlorophyll-c via the glutamate C-5 pathway in Chloroflexus aurantiacus

Abstract

Administration of L-[1-¹³C]glutamic acid to growing cultures of Chloroflexus aurantiacus(J-10-fl) causes enrichment of the corresponding carbons in the macrocycle of the resulting bacteriochlorophyll-c pigment, indicating that δ-aminolevulinic acid in this gliding filamentous bacterium is biosynthesized by way of the C-5 pathway; studies using carbon-13 enriched glycine and methionine are also compatible with this conclusion.