Phycocyanobilin is a blue phycobilin, i.e., a tetrapyrrole chromophore found in

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria ( ) are a group of autotrophic gram-negative bacteria that can obtain biological energy via oxygenic photosynthesis. The name "cyanobacteria" () refers to their bluish green (cyan) color, which forms the basis of cyanobacteri ...

and in the

chloroplast A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle, organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant cell, plant and algae, algal cells. Chloroplasts have a high concentration of chlorophyll pigments which captur ...

s of

red algae Red algae, or Rhodophyta (, ; ), make up one of the oldest groups of eukaryotic algae. The Rhodophyta comprises one of the largest Phylum, phyla of algae, containing over 7,000 recognized species within over 900 Genus, genera amidst ongoing taxon ...

, glaucophytes, and some cryptomonads. Phycocyanobilin is present only in the

phycobiliprotein Phycobiliproteins are water-soluble proteins present in cyanobacteria and certain algae (rhodophytes, cryptomonads, glaucocystophytes). They capture light energy, which is then passed on to chlorophylls during photosynthesis. Phycobiliproteins are ...

allophycocyanin Allophycocyanin ("other algal blue protein"; from Greek language, Greek: '' (allos)'' meaning "other", '' (phykos)'' meaning “alga”, and '' (kyanos)'' meaning "blue") is a protein from the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein family, along with ph ...

and

phycocyanin Phycocyanin is a pigment-protein complex from the light-harvesting phycobiliprotein family, along with allophycocyanin and phycoerythrin. It is an accessory pigment to chlorophyll. All phycobiliproteins are water-soluble, so they cannot exist ...

, of which it is the terminal acceptor of energy. It is covalently linked to these phycobiliproteins by a thioether bond. Phycocyanobilin (PCB), has the ability to bind to human serum albumin (HSA), protein found mainly in the blood of humans. This PCB-HCA complex benefits the structure of HSA, increasing the thermal stability of HSA, as well as increasing its ability to prevent against proteolytic activity of other proteins.

Biosynthetic Pathway

The biosynthetic pathway of phycocyanobilin begins with 5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA). Two molecules of 5-ALA undergo a condensation reaction catalyzed by Porphobilinogen (PBG) Synthase to yield a molecule of Porphobilinogen (PBG) (not shown). Four molecules of PBG are polymerized into a linear tetrapyrrole by Porphobilinogen deaminase. This reaction releases four

ammonia Ammonia is an inorganic chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the chemical formula, formula . A Binary compounds of hydrogen, stable binary hydride and the simplest pnictogen hydride, ammonia is a colourless gas with a distinctive pu ...

molecules in the process. Completion of the tetrapyrrole is performed by Uroporphyrinogen III synthase which results in the macrocyclic Uroporphyrinogen III. Uroporphyrinogen III is then converted to a

Heme Heme (American English), or haem (Commonwealth English, both pronounced /Help:IPA/English, hi:m/ ), is a ring-shaped iron-containing molecule that commonly serves as a Ligand (biochemistry), ligand of various proteins, more notably as a Prostheti ...

by a Uroporphyrinogen III decarboxylase. The heme molecule is converted to Biliverdin IX α. Biliverdin is then finally reduced to Phycocyanobilin (PCB) by the Phycocyanin Ferredoxin Oxidoreductase PcyA. Literature circa 1989 includes phytochromobilin as an intermediate in this final conversion.

Biosynthetic Pathway

References

Further reading