Chlorophyll Biosynthesis

“Photosynthesis: Plastid Biology, Energy Conversion and Carbon Assimilation” was conceived as a comprehensive treatment touching on most of the processes important for photosynthesis. Most of the chapters provide a broad coverage that, it is hoped, will be accessible to advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and researchers looking to broaden their knowledge of photosynthesis. For biologists, biochemists, and biophysicists, this volume will provide quick background understanding for the breadth of issues in photosynthesis that are important in research and instructional settings. This volume will be of interest to advanced undergraduates in plant biology, and plant biochemistry and to graduate students and instructors wanting a single reference volume on the latest understanding of the critical components of photosynthesis.

Heme and chlorophyll (Chl) are porphyrins. Porphyrins (also referred to as tetrapyrroles) are essential for life in the biosphere. Chlorophyll catalyzes the conversion of solar energy to chemical energy via the process of photosynthesis. Organic life in the biosphere is made possible by consumption of the chemical energy generated by photosynthesis. Hemes are the prosthetic groups of cytochromes which are involved in electron transport during oxidative phosphorylation and photosynthetic phosphorylation which generate ATP and NADPH. The latter are essential for many cellular functions. Chlorophyll on the other hands catalyzes the process of photosynthesis. Indeed, life in the biosphere depends on the process of photosynthesis which converts light energy, carbon dioxide and water into the chemical energy, required for the formation of food and fiber. Photosynthetic efficiency is controlled by extrinsic factors such as the availability of water, CO2, inorganic nutrients, ambient temperature and the metabolic and developmental state of the plant, as well as by intrinsic factors (Lien and San Pietro, 1975). The most important intrinsic factor is the efficiency of the photosynthetic electron transport system (PETS). Conventional agriculture is one of the few human activities that have not undergone a revolution to join other activities such as overcoming gravity by flying, and landing on the moon, crossing underwater the polar cap, and communicating wirelessly over long distances via electromagnetic waves. We now feel that enough biochemical and molecular biological knowledge has accumulated to render this dream amenable to experimentation. We believe that the time has come to bioengineer chloroplasts capable of synthesizing a short chain carbohydrate such as glycerol at rates that approach the upper theoretical limits of photosynthesis [Rebeiz, C. A. (2010) Investigations of possible relationships between the chlorophyll biosynthetic pathway and the assembly of chlorophyll-protein complexes and photosynthetic efficiency. In: Rebeiz, C. A. Benning, C., Bohnert, H.J., Daniell, H., Hoober J. K., Lichtenthaler, H. K., Portis , A. R., and Tripathy, B. C. eds. The chloroplast: Basics and Applications. Springer. The Netherlands, p 1-24]. In order to achieve this goal a thorough knowledge of the Chl biosynthetic pathway is needed along with knowledge in other domains (Rebeiz 2010). In this context, this monograph is devoted to an in depth discussion of our present knowledge of the Chl biosynthetic pathway. The complexity and biochemical heterogeneity of the Chl biosynthetic pathway and the relationship of this complexity to the structural and biosynthetic complexity of photosynthetic membranes will be emphasized. We will also emphasize in historical perspective, key stages in our understanding of the Chl biosynthetic heterogeneity. The reader should keep in mind that a complex biosynthetic process is only fully understood when it becomes possible to reconstitute in vitro every step of the process. We are not yet at this stage of understanding of thylakoid membrane biogenesis. Considerable progress has been achieved however, in the understanding of numerous facets of the Chl biosynthetic pathway, namely (a) detection and identification of various major and minor metabolic intermediates (b) precursor-product relationships between various intermediates, (c) structure and regulation of many enzymes of the pathway, and (d) the relationship of the Chl biosynthetic heterogeneity to the structural and functional heterogeneity of thylakoid membranes. In addition topics related to the development of Analytical techniques, Cell-free systems, Herbicides, Insecticides, and Cancericides are also discussed.

The first dedicated new work since 1991, this book reviews recent progress and current studies in the chemistry, metabolism and spectroscopy of chlorophylls, bacteriochlorophylls and their protein complexes. Also discussed is progress on the applications of chlorophylls as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy of cancerous tumours, and as molecular probes in biochemistry, medicine, plant physiology, ecology and geochemistry. Each section offers an introductory overview followed by concise, focused and fully-referenced chapters written by experts.

The Proceedings of the 14th International Congress on Photosynthesis is a record of the most recent advances and emerging themes in the discipline. This volume contains over 350 contributions from some 800 participants attending the meeting in Glasgow, UK in July 2007. These range from summary overview presentations from plenary speakers to expanded content of posters presented by students and their supervisors featuring the most recent achievements in photosynthesis research. In the words of Professor Eva-Mari Aro, President of the international Society of Photosynthesis Research 2004-7, “Having been taken for granted for centuries, research in photosynthesis has now become a matter of utmost importance for the future of planet Earth...Major initiatives are underway that will use research into natural and artificial photosynthesis for sustainable energy production....”. These volumes thus provide a glimpse of the future, from the molecule to the biosphere

The Porphyrin Handbook, Volume 13: Chlorophylls and Bilins: Biosynthesis, Synthesis, and Degradation provides information pertinent to every aspect of the chemistry, synthesis, spectroscopy, and structure of phthalocyanines. This book examines the biology and medical implications of porphyrin systems. Organized into eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of magnesium chelatase as a complex enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll. This text then provides an accurate historical review of the two enzymes involved in photosynthetic pigment production. Other chapters consider the processes that take place in darkness in all plants including angiosperms as the early steps of chlorophyll biosynthesis. This book discusses as well the reactivity and structures of the known chlorophyll catabolites from vascular plants, synthetic sources, and microorganisms. The final chapter deals with the methodologies used for the synthesis of bile pigments. This book is a valuable resource for research scientists, engineers, and clinicians.

The Porphyrin Handbook, Volume 13: Chlorophylls and Bilins: Biosynthesis, Synthesis, and Degradation provides information pertinent to every aspect of the chemistry, synthesis, spectroscopy, and structure of phthalocyanines. This book examines the biology and medical implications of porphyrin systems. Organized into eight chapters, this volume begins with an overview of magnesium chelatase as a complex enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of chlorophyll and bacteriochlorophyll. This text then provides an accurate historical review of the two enzymes involved in photosynthetic pigment production. Other chapters consider the processes that take place in darkness in all plants including angiosperms as the early steps of chlorophyll biosynthesis. This book discusses as well the reactivity and structures of the known chlorophyll catabolites from vascular plants, synthetic sources, and microorganisms. The final chapter deals with the methodologies used for the synthesis of bile pigments. This book is a valuable resource for research scientists, engineers, and clinicians.

Metabolism, Structure and Function of Plant Tetrapyrroles, Volume 91, the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series is a compilation of the current state-of-the-art on the topic. Chapters in this new release cover Tetrapyrrole Pigments of Photosynthetic Antennae and Reaction Centers of Higher Plants: Biochemistry, Biophysics, Functions, Molecular Mechanism of Antenna Regulation, Applications, Chlorophyll c: Synthesis, Occurrence, Light-Harvesting, Absorbance, Excitation Properties, Pigment Organization in Chlorophyll-Binding Proteins (FCP), Chlorophyll d and f: Synthesis, Occurrence, Light-harvesting, Absorbance, Excitation Properties, Pigment Organization in Chlorophyll-Binding Protein Complexes, Analysis of Chlorophyll, Precursors and Derivatives by New High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, and much more. Presents the latest release in the Advances in Botanical Research series Provides an Ideal resource for post-graduates and researchers in the plant sciences, including botany, plant biochemistry, plant pathology and plant physiology Contains contributions from internationally recognized authorities in their respective fields

This volume provides a comprehensive look at the biology of plastids, the multifunctional biosynthetic factories that are unique to plants and algae. Fifty-six international experts have contributed 28 chapters that cover all aspects of this large and diverse family of plant and algal organelles. The book is divided into five sections: (I): Plastid Origin and Development; (II): The Plastid Genome and Its Interaction with the Nuclear Genome; (III): Photosynthetic Metabolism in Plastids; (IV): Non-Photosynthetic Metabolism in Plastids; (V): Plastid Differentiation and Response to Environmental Factors. Each chapter includes an integrated view of plant biology from the standpoint of the plastid. The book is intended for a wide audience, but is specifically designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and scientists in the fields of photosynthesis, biochemistry, molecular biology, physiology, and plant biology.

The Chlorophylls reviews developments in study of chlorophylls, and at the same time summarizes the state of knowledge in the more established areas of the physics, chemistry, and biology of chlorophylls. The book is organized into four sections. The first section deals with the chlorophylls as chemical entities, and treats their isolation, analysis, chemistry, and synthesis. The second concerns chlorophylls in real and colloidal solution and in the solid state in vitro, and includes the effects of aggregation on visible, infrared, and NMR spectral properties. The third section treats the biosynthesis, organization, and properties of chlorophylls in the plant and bacterial cell, and the fourth is concerned with the photochemical and photophysical behavior of chlorophylls in vitro and in vivo. It is hoped that this work will help those investigating selected aspects of chlorophyll to keep abreast of other methods and approaches, and will provide the interested scientist with a modern, conceptually organized treatment of the subject.