A Novel Pathway for the Biosynthesis of Heme in Archaea: Genome-Based Bioinformatic Predictions and Experimental Evidence

Figure 2

Putative heme biosynthesis gene clusters. The most complete gene clusters containing the hem, SUMT, PC2-DH, and ahb-nir genes were found in the genomes of different Pyrobaculum species, members of the Methanosarcinales and Halobacteria (see also Table 1). Genes located as direct or near neighbors are shown in the same color. The number of slashes indicates the number of genes encoding hypothetical proteins which interrupt the gene cluster. The database gene numbers are given in the gene arrow representation without the abbreviation for the strain. These abbreviations are PAE for P. aerophilum, PARS_ for P. arsenaticum, MA for M. acetivorans, MBAR_ for M. barkeri fusaro, and VNG for Halobacterium sp. NRC-1.