Abstract
In Rhodobacter capsulatus, 3-vinyl hydroxyethyl hydratase, which is encoded in bchF, is involved in conversion of C-3 vinyl group to hydroxyethyl group. Green sulfur bacterium Chlorobium tepidum synthesizes three kinds of chlorophylls, namely, BChl a, Chl a, and an antenna pigment of BChl c. Whole genome of C. tepidum has been deciphered and two paralogs of bchF (CT1421 and CT1776) are found. It is proposed that the C-3 carbon of BChl c is a chiral center that can exist in R- or S- stereochemistry, and CT1421 relates R-type, while, CT1776 concerns S-type BChl c. In this study, we introduced CT1421 and CT1776 to cell of mutant of R. capsulatus in which bchF was inactivated. We observed the enzymatic function of bchF in R. capsulatus was complemented by either genes from C. tepidum. We also introduced these genes as well as bchF from R. capsulatus into cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC6803.
