Quinone activation of protoporphyrinogen oxidase of barley plastids

Protoporphyrinogen oxidase catalyzing the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen to protoporphyrin is the target enzyme for several highly active herbicides. The plastidic plant enzyme under normal conditions uses oxygen as electron acceptor. Duroquinone, however, can be an alternative electron acceptor of protoporphyrinogen oxidase of barley plastids. In this respect the enzyme from the plastids may be an evolutionary intermediate between bacterial enzymes coupled to ubiquinone and mammalian mitochondrial enzymes coupled to oxygen.