Biosynthesis of uroporphyrinogens from porphobilinogen: mechanism and the nature of the process

Abstract

The enzymic self-polymerization of porphobilinogen gives rise to the cyclic tetrapyrroles uroporphyrinogen III and uroporphyrinogen I. The former is the precursor of all the natural porphyrins and chlorins. The formation of uroporphyrinogen III is catalysed by a dual enzymic system, porphobilinogen deaminase and uroporphyrinogen III cosynthase. Deaminase polymerizes four porphobilinogen units on the enzymic surface, without liberation of free intermediates into the reaction medium, and forms uroporphyrinogen I. Cosynthase enters into association with the deaminase, and acts as a ‘specifier protein' of the latter, changing the mode of porphobilinogen condensation on the enzymic surface. The association is independent of the presence of substrate. While deaminase catalyses the head-to-tail condensation of the porphobilinogen units, the association deaminase-cosynthase catalyses the head-to-head condensation of the same units. As a result different enzyme-bound dipyrrylmethanes are formed from the beginning of the process, and this can be demonstrated by using synthetic dipyrrylmethanes and tripyrranes.