The regulation of enzymes involved in chlorophyll biosynthesis

Eur J Biochem. 1996 Apr 15;237(2):323-43. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1996.00323.x.

Abstract

All living organisms contain tetrapyrroles. In plants, chlorophyll (chlorophyll a plus chlorophyll b) is the most abundant and probably most important tetrapyrrole. It is involved in light absorption and energy transduction during photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is synthesized from the intact carbon skeleton of glutamate via the C5 pathway. This pathway takes place in the chloroplast. It is the aim of this review to summarize the current knowledge on the biochemistry and molecular biology of the C5-pathway enzymes, their regulated expression in response to light, and the impact of chlorophyll biosynthesis on chloroplast development. Particular emphasis will be placed on the key regulatory steps of chlorophyll biosynthesis in higher plants, such as 5-aminolevulinic acid formation, the production of Mg(2+)-protoporphyrin IX, and light-dependent protochlorophyllide reduction.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Aminolevulinic Acid / chemistry
  • Aminolevulinic Acid / metabolism
  • Chlorophyll / biosynthesis*
  • Chlorophyll / chemistry
  • Chloroplasts / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Oxidoreductases / metabolism
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors*
  • Photosynthesis
  • Plants / enzymology*
  • Plants / genetics
  • Plants / metabolism*
  • Protochlorophyllide / chemistry
  • Protochlorophyllide / metabolism
  • Protoporphyrins / biosynthesis
  • Protoporphyrins / chemistry
  • Pyrroles / chemistry
  • Pyrroles / metabolism
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Tetrapyrroles

Substances

  • Protoporphyrins
  • Pyrroles
  • Tetrapyrroles
  • Chlorophyll
  • Protochlorophyllide
  • Aminolevulinic Acid
  • protoporphyrin IX
  • Oxidoreductases
  • Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-CH Group Donors
  • protochlorophyllide reductase