Prokaryotic Heme Biosynthesis: Multiple Pathways to a Common Essential Product.

ABSTRACT: The advent of heme during evolution allowed organisms possessing this compound to safely and efficiently carry out a variety of chemical reactions that otherwise were difficult or impossible. While it was long assumed that a single heme biosynthetic pathway existed in nature, over the past decade, it has become clear that there are three distinct pathways among prokaryotes, although all three pathways utilize a common initial core of three enzymes to produce the intermediate uroporphyrinogen III. The most ancient pathway and the only one found in the Archaea converts siroheme to protoheme via an oxygen-independent four-enzyme-step process. Bacteria utilize the initial core pathway but then add one additional common step to produce coproporphyrinogen III. Following this step, Gram-positive

SUBMITTER: Dailey HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5312243 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature