Protoporphyrinogen IX oxidase (PPO), the last enzyme that is common to both chlorophyll and heme biosynthesis pathways, catalyzes the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen IX to protoporphyrin IX. PPO has several isoforms, including the oxygen-dependent HemY and an oxygen-independent enzyme, HemG. However, most cyanobacteria encode HemJ, the least characterized PPO form. We have characterized HemJ from the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 (Synechocystis 6803) as a bona fide PPO; HemJ down-regulation resulted in accumulation of tetrapyrrole precursors and in the depletion of chlorophyll precursors. The expression of FLAG-tagged Synechocystis 6803 HemJ protein (HemJ.f) and affinity isolation of HemJ.f under native conditions revealed that it binds heme b The most stable HemJ.f form was a dimer, and higher oligomeric forms were also observed. Using both oxygen and artificial electron acceptors, we detected no enzymatic activity with the purified HemJ.f, consistent with the hypothesis that the enzymatic mechanism for HemJ is distinct from those of other PPO isoforms. The heme absorption spectra and distant HemJ homology to several membrane oxidases indicated that the heme in HemJ is redox-active and involved in electron transfer. HemJ was conditionally complemented by another PPO, HemG from Escherichia coli. If grown photoautotrophically, the complemented strain accumulated tripropionic tetrapyrrole harderoporphyrin, suggesting a defect in enzymatic conversion of coproporphyrinogen III to protoporphyrinogen IX, catalyzed by coproporphyrinogen III oxidase (CPO). This observation supports the hypothesis that HemJ is functionally coupled with CPO and that this coupling is disrupted after replacement of HemJ by HemG.

From the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Microbiology Centre Algatech 379 81 Třeboň Czech Republic

the Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia 370 05 České Budějovice Czech Republic and

the School of Biosciences RAPID Group University of Kent Canterbury CT2 7NZ United Kingdom

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Epigenetic control of tetrapyrrole biosynthesis by m4C DNA methylation in a cyanobacterium

FtsH4 protease controls biogenesis of the PSII complex by dual regulation of high light-inducible proteins

Purification of Protein-complexes from the Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 Using FLAG-affinity Chromatography