Reaction: (3Z)-phycocyanobilin + 4 oxidized ferredoxin = biliverdin IXα + 4 reduced ferredoxin
For diagram of reaction click here.
Systematic name: (3Z)-phycocyanobilin:ferredoxin oxidoreductase
Comments: Catalyses the four-electron reduction of biliverdin IXα (2-electron reduction at both the A and D rings). Reaction proceeds via an isolatable 2-electron intermediate, 181,182-dihydrobiliverdin. Flavodoxins can be used instead of ferredoxin. The direct conversion of biliverdin IXα (BV) to (3Z)-phycocyanolbilin (PCB) in the cyanobacteria Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, Anabaena sp. PCC7120 and Nostoc punctiforme is in contrast to the proposed pathways of PCB biosynthesis in the red alga Cyanidium caldarium, which involves (3Z)-phycoerythrobilin (PEB) as an intermediate [2] and in the green alga Mesotaenium caldariorum, in which PCB is an isolable intermediate.
Links to other databases: BRENDA, EXPASY, KEGG, MetaCyc, PDB, CAS registry number: 347401-12-1
References:
1. Frankenberg, N., Mukougawa, K., Kohchi, T. and Lagarias, J.C. Functional genomic analysis of the HY2 family of ferredoxin-dependent bilin reductases from oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. Plant Cell 13 (2001) 965-978. [PMID: 11283349]
2. Beale, S.I. Biosynthesis of phycobilins. Chem. Rev. 93 (1993) 785-802.
3. Wu, S.-H., McDowell, M.T. and Lagarias, J.C. Phycocyanobilin is the natural chromophore precursor of phytochrome from the green alga Mesotaenium caldariorum. J. Biol. Chem. 272 (1997) 25700-25705. [PMID: 9325294]