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. 1969 May;98(2):721–727. doi: 10.1128/jb.98.2.721-727.1969

Mutant Strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides Lacking δ-Aminolevulinate Synthase: Growth, Heme, and Bacteriochlorophyll Synthesis

June Lascelles 1, Toby Altshuler 1
PMCID: PMC284877  PMID: 5784221

Abstract

Two mutant strains of Rhodopseudomonas spheroides were described which lacked δ-aminolevulinate synthase activity. They required δ-aminolevulinate for growth; they did not respond to protoporphyrin or magnesium photoporphyrin, and only poorly to hemin. Synthesis of cytochromes and heme by mutant H-4 was dependent upon δ-aminolevulinate; this strain did not form bacteriochlorophyll either with or without δ-aminolevulinate and, consequently, grew only under aerobic conditions. Mutant H-5 formed bacteriochlorophyll in response to δ-aminolevulinate and grew both anaerobically in the light and aerobically in the dark; the amount of δ-aminolevulinate needed for optimal anaerobic growth was higher than that required aerobically. Synthesis of bacteriochlorophyll and heme by suspensions of mutant H-5 incubated anaerobically in the light was dependent upon δ-aminolevulinate; bacteriochlorophyll production was completely inhibited by high aeration and by puromycin. The mutants differed in their ability to take up radioactive δ-aminolevulinate from the external environment; mutant H-5 was less active than mutant H-4 or the wild type. It was suggested that R. spheroides made only one form of δ-aminolevulinate synthase, which provided δ-aminolevulinate for bacteriochlorophyll and heme synthesis.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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