Rhodobacter capsulatus genes involved in early steps of the bacteriochlorophyll biosynthetic pathway

Three open reading frames in the Rhodobacter capsulatus photosynthesis gene cluster, designated F0, F108, and F1025, were disrupted by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutants bearing insertions in these reading frames were defective in converting protoporphyrin IX to magnesium-protoporphyrin monomethyl ester, protochlorophyllide to chlorophyllide a, and magnesium-protoporphyrin monomethyl ester to protochlorophyllide, respectively. These results demonstrate that the genes examined most likely encode enzyme subunits that catalyze steps common to plant and bacterial tetrapyrrole photopigment biosynthetic pathways. The open reading frames were found to be part of a large 11-kilobase operon that encodes numerous genes involved in early steps of the bacteriochlorophyll a biosynthetic pathway.