Evolution of the Rhodelphis heme biosynthetic pathway.

Maximum likelihood phylogenetic trees were generated for all Rhodelphis heme biosynthetic proteins including: aminolevulinate synthase (ALAS), delta aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (HemB), porphobilinogen deaminase (HemC), uroporphyrinogen-III synthase (HemD), uroporphyrinogen-III decarboxylase (HemE), coproporphyrinogen-III oxidase (HemF), protoporphyrinogen-IX oxidase (HemY), ferrochelatase (HemH). Only the first step in heme synthesis, catalyzed by ALAS, is most similar to mitochondrial homologs, and is predicted to be mitochondrial. All others, with the exception of HemH, are plastid-type proteins. The atypical HemH protein is found in some, but not all red algae, and is closely related to HemH from myxobacteria. Untrimmed and trimmed alignments used to generate the trees are also included.