Advances in the members and biosynthesis of chlorophyll family

Abstract

Chlorophylls are vital for photosynthesis, allowing plants to absorb energy from light for photosynthesis. More than one hundred species of chlorophyll have been identified. Among them, chlorophylls a, b, c (c1, c2, and c3), d, and f exist in oxygenic photosynthetic organisms (e.g., higher plants, algae, and cyanobacteria), whereas anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria possess bacteriochlorophylls a, b, c, d, e, and g. These chlorophylls have different chemical structures and properties that enable photosynthetic organisms to perform photosynthesis in different environments. All of the chlorophylls are biosynthesized from 3,8-divinyl-protochlorophyllide a by a series of enzymes. The synthetic pathways of chlorophylls have now been basically clarified. This review succinctly summarizes the structures, properties, and synthetic pathways of the chlorophylls.