Bacteriochlorophyll pathway intermediates produced by E. coli cells expressing various combinations of genes from the Heme and BChl pathways as detected by HPLC.

E. coli cells expressing HemA-F and the magnesium chelatase complex BchSID produce PIX and MgPIX. Addition of the methyl transferase BchM results in production of both PIX ME and MgPIX ME. Expression with the divinyl reductase CTBciA in the presence and absence of BchM leads to the production of mono-vinyl forms of pathway intermediates. RSBciA is not active in our in vivo system. Abbreviations: PIX - protoporphyrin IX, MgPIX - Mg-protoporphyrin IX, PIXME - protoporphyrin IX methylester, MgPIXME - Mg-protoporphyrin IX methylester, mvPIX - mono-vinyl protoporphyrin IX, mvMgPIX - mono-vinyl Mg-protoporphyrin IX, mvPIXME - mono-vinyl protoporphyrin IX methylester, mvMgPIXME - mono-vinyl Mg-protoporphyrin IX methylester, ND – none detected.