U. Oster et W. Rudiger, THE G4 GENE OF ARABIDOPSIS-THALIANA ENCODES A CHLOROPHYLL SYNTHASE OFETIOLATED PLANTS, Botanica acta, 110(5), 1997, pp. 420-423
The gene coding for a putative chlorophyll synthase gene (G4) from Ara
bidopsis thaliana was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction and c
loned into the expression vector pQE-31. Lysates of bacteria (E. coli)
that had been transformed with this construct were used for in vitro
enzymatic assays. The chlorophyll synthase catalyzed esterification of
chlorophyllides a and b at the same rate but preferred geranylgeranyl
-PP over phytyl-PP. This corresponds to the enzyme specificity previou
sly described for etiolated plants and differed from that of green pla
nts.