5‐Aminolevulinic acid formation from glutamate via the C5 pathway in Clostridium thermoaceticum

摘要

>A cell-free extract of the anaerobic eubacterium, Clostridium thermoaceticum, catalyses the synthesis of 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) from glutamate via the C₅ pathway. The enzyme reaction resembles that of higher plants and algae in cofactor requirements and sensitivity to ribonuclease. From the phylogenetic distribution it is proposed that the C₅ pathway evolved earlier than the ALA synthase pathway.