Primary structure determination of two cytochromes c2: close similarity to functionally unrelated mitochondrial...

The amino-acid sequences of the cytochromes c2 from the photosynthetic non-sulfur purple bacteria Rhodomicrobium vannielii and Rhodopseudomonas viridis have been determined. Only a single residue deletion (at position 11 in horse cytochrome c) is necessary to align the sequences with those of mitochondrial cytochromes c. The overall sequence similarity between these cytochromes c2 and mitochondrial cytochromes c is closer than that between mitochondrial cytochromes c and the other cytochromes c2 of known sequence, and in the latter multiple insertions and deletions must be postulated before a match can be obtained. Nevertheless, these two cytochromes c2 show no better reactivity with the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase than do the less well-matched cytochromes c2. The bearing of these findings on possible evolutionary relationship between mitochondria and prokaryotes is discussed.