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Formation Of The Isocyclic Ring Of Chlorophyll By Isolated Clamydomonas Reinhardtii Chloroplasts, David Bollivar, Samuel I. Beale

David Bollivar

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts catalyzed two sequential steps of Chl biosynthesis, S-adenosyl-L-methionine:Mg-protoporphyrin IX methyltransferase and Mg-protoporphyrin IX monomethyl ester oxidative cyclase. A double mutant strain of C. reinhardtii was constructed which has a cell wall deficiency and is unable to form chlorophyll in the dark. Dark-grown cells were disrupted with a BioNeb nebulizer under conditions which lysed the plasma membrane but not the chloroplast envelope. Chloroplasts were purified by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. The purified chloroplasts were used to define components required for the biosynthesis of Mg-2,4-divinylpheoporphyrin a 5 (divinyl protochlorophyllide) from Mg-protoporphyrin IX. Product formation requires the addition of Mg-protoporphyrin …