Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

Guangyu E. Chen; Daniel P. Canniffe; Samuel F.H. Barnett; Sarah Hollingshead; Amanda A. Brindley; Cvetelin Vasilev; Donald A. Bryant; C. Neil Hunter

doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407

Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

Guangyu E. Chen, Daniel P. Canniffe, Samuel F.H. Barnett, Sarah Hollingshead, Amanda A. Brindley, Cvetelin Vasilev, Donald A. Bryant, C. Neil Hunter

Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Chlorophylls are essential cofactors for photosynthesis, which sustains global food chains and oxygen production. Billions of tons of chlorophylls are synthesized annually, yet full understanding of chlorophyll biosynthesis has been hindered by the lack of characterization of the Mg–protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase step, which confers the distinctive green color of these pigments. We demonstrate cyclase activity using heterologously expressed enzyme. Next, we assemble a genetic module that encodes the complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and show that it functions in Escherichia coli. Expression of 12 genes converts endogenous protoporphyrin IX into chlorophyll a, turning E. coli cells green. Our results delineate a minimum set of enzymes required to make chlorophyll and establish a platform for engineering photosynthesis in a heterotrophic model organism.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	eaaq1407
Journal	Science Advances
Volume	4
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407
State	Published - Jan 2018

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

General

Access to Document

10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407

Fingerprint Dive into the research topics of 'Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this

@article{644cff3b81674873a8fe97e6a1c9c184,

title = "Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli",

abstract = "Chlorophylls are essential cofactors for photosynthesis, which sustains global food chains and oxygen production. Billions of tons of chlorophylls are synthesized annually, yet full understanding of chlorophyll biosynthesis has been hindered by the lack of characterization of the Mg–protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase step, which confers the distinctive green color of these pigments. We demonstrate cyclase activity using heterologously expressed enzyme. Next, we assemble a genetic module that encodes the complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and show that it functions in Escherichia coli. Expression of 12 genes converts endogenous protoporphyrin IX into chlorophyll a, turning E. coli cells green. Our results delineate a minimum set of enzymes required to make chlorophyll and establish a platform for engineering photosynthesis in a heterotrophic model organism.",

author = "Chen, {Guangyu E.} and Canniffe, {Daniel P.} and Barnett, {Samuel F.H.} and Sarah Hollingshead and Brindley, {Amanda A.} and Cvetelin Vasilev and Bryant, {Donald A.} and {Neil Hunter}, C.",

year = "2018",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "4",

journal = "Science advances",

issn = "2375-2548",

publisher = "American Association for the Advancement of Science",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Complete enzyme set for chlorophyll biosynthesis in Escherichia coli

AU - Chen, Guangyu E.

AU - Canniffe, Daniel P.

AU - Barnett, Samuel F.H.

AU - Hollingshead, Sarah

AU - Brindley, Amanda A.

AU - Vasilev, Cvetelin

AU - Bryant, Donald A.

AU - Neil Hunter, C.

PY - 2018/1

Y1 - 2018/1

N2 - Chlorophylls are essential cofactors for photosynthesis, which sustains global food chains and oxygen production. Billions of tons of chlorophylls are synthesized annually, yet full understanding of chlorophyll biosynthesis has been hindered by the lack of characterization of the Mg–protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase step, which confers the distinctive green color of these pigments. We demonstrate cyclase activity using heterologously expressed enzyme. Next, we assemble a genetic module that encodes the complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and show that it functions in Escherichia coli. Expression of 12 genes converts endogenous protoporphyrin IX into chlorophyll a, turning E. coli cells green. Our results delineate a minimum set of enzymes required to make chlorophyll and establish a platform for engineering photosynthesis in a heterotrophic model organism.

AB - Chlorophylls are essential cofactors for photosynthesis, which sustains global food chains and oxygen production. Billions of tons of chlorophylls are synthesized annually, yet full understanding of chlorophyll biosynthesis has been hindered by the lack of characterization of the Mg–protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase step, which confers the distinctive green color of these pigments. We demonstrate cyclase activity using heterologously expressed enzyme. Next, we assemble a genetic module that encodes the complete chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and show that it functions in Escherichia coli. Expression of 12 genes converts endogenous protoporphyrin IX into chlorophyll a, turning E. coli cells green. Our results delineate a minimum set of enzymes required to make chlorophyll and establish a platform for engineering photosynthesis in a heterotrophic model organism.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85042264240&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85042264240&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407

DO - 10.1126/sciadv.aaq1407

M3 - Article

C2 - 29387799

AN - SCOPUS:85042264240

VL - 4

JO - Science advances

JF - Science advances

SN - 2375-2548

IS - 1

M1 - eaaq1407

ER -