Direct observation of enzymatic transformation of .DELTA.-aminolevulinic acid to porphobilinogen and uroporphyrinogen in a cell-free system by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
The enzymes which transform δ-aminolevulinic acid into porphobilinogen and uroporphyrinogen were isolated and partially purified for use in a cell-free system. A technique was developed for direct observation of the time course of the reactinos in this system by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance (13C-NMR) spectroscopy, using 13C-labeled aminolevulinic acid as the substrate.