Table 1. Phycobiliprotein types and specific parameters of each phycobiliprotein. (for primary references see tables from MacColl & Guard-Friar[MacColl, 1987 #20]and Rowan[Rowan, 1989 #138] or the specific references provided).

Phycobiliprotein / Alternative Name(s) / Abs.
Peak(s)
(nm) / Fluor.
Emission
(nm) / Subunit/
Bilins / Distribution
Allophycocyanin / APC / 598(s)
629 (s)
650 / 660 / a 1 PCB1
b 1 PCB / Red
Cyano
Type I / APC I / 654 / 678
Type II / APC II / 590
620
650 / 660
Type III / APC III / 625
650 / 660
Allophycocyanin A / APC A / 595
623
654
Allophycocyanin B / APC-B, APC-680 / 610
650
667(s) / 680 / Red
Cyano
Phycocyanin 569 / Cr-PC569 / a 1 PCB
b 1 PCB
2 584B / Crypto
Phycocyanin 612 / Cr-PC612, CryptoFluor-1, / 575
612 / 634 / a 1 PCB
b 2 PCB
1 DBV / Crypto
Phycocyanin 617 / Cr-PC617 / a 1 PCB
b 2 PCB
1 CV / Crypto
Phycocyanin 630 / Cr-PC630 / 583
630 / Crypto
Phycocyanin 645 / Cr-PC645, CryptoFluor-2 / 585
625(s) 645 / 660 / a 1 697B
b 2 PCB
1 CV / Crypto
a 1 MBV
b 2 PCB
1 DBV / Crypto
Phycoerythrin 545 / Cr-PE545, CryptoFluor-3 / 545 560(s) / 585 / a 1 DBV
b 3 PEB / Crypto
Phycoerythrin 555 / Cr-PE555, CryptoFluor-4 / 555 / 578 / Crypto
Phycoerythrin 566 / Cr-PE566, CryptoFluor-5 / 566
620(s) / 617 / a 1 bilin 585
b 1 PEB
2 bilin 584 / Crypto
565-566
604 / 617 / Cyrpto
Phycoerythrin 570 / Cr-PE570 / 569
630 / 650-656 / Crypto
C-Phycocyanin / C-PC / 615-625 / 637-647 / a 1 PCB1
b 1 PCB / Red
Cyano
Type II / PC II / 617-618 / 642-648
623 / PC 623 / 623 / 642
637 / PC 637 / 637 / 653
R-phycocyanin / R-PC,
R-PC I / 555
614-620 / 636-650 / a 1 PCB2
b 1 PCB
1 PEB / Red
R-PC II / 533
554
615 / 646 / Red
B-phycoerythrin / B-PE / 498(s)
545-546
563-565 / 575-578 / a 2 PEB9,10
b 3 PEB
g 2 PEB
2 PUB / Red
Type I / B-PE I / 496-503
538-550
564-570 / 574-577 / Red
Type II / B-PE II / 498-499
529-537
566-568 / 574-575 / Red
b-phycoerythrin / b-PE / 545
563 / 570-575 / Red
C-phycoerythrin / C-PE / 565-562 / 576-577 / a 2 PEB2,3
b 3-4 PEB / Cyano
Type I / C-PE I / 540
560 / Cyano
Type II / C-PE II / 540
563 / Cyano
CU-phycoerythrin / CU-PE / 495
547
562 / 573 / a 3 PEB
b 3 PEB
1 PUB4,5 / Cyano
Type I / CU-PE I / 498-501
540
564-567 / 573 / Cyano
Type II / CU-PE II / 496-500
536-547
558-565 / 573 / Cyano
Type III / CU-PE III / 492
543 / 565 / Cyano
R-phycoerythrin
Type I / R-PE / 493-498 534-545 564-568 / 572-578 / a 2 PEB6,7
b 2-3 PEB
1 PUB
g1 3 PEB
2 PUB
g2 1-2 PEB
1 PUB / Red
Type II / 496-497
538-551
565-566 / 574-577 / Red
Type III / 496
539-541
564-567 / 572 / Red
r-phycoerythrin / r-PE / 498
542
560 / 575 / Red
Phycoerythrin / PE / 495
563
605 / 626 / a 2 PEB
b 1 PUB
1 PCB
1 PEB
g 1 PUB
2 PEB /

Red11

Audouinella

bb-Phycoerythrin / PE-LR87
bbPE / 562
604 / 630 / Red12
Rhodella reticulata R6
Phycoerythrocyanin / PEC / 535(s)
570-575 590-595(s) / 625 / a 1 CV8
b 2 PCB / Cyano

Red = red algal, cyano = cyanobacterial, crypto = cryptomonad. Specific references:1-[Glazer, 1973 #226], 2-[Glazer, 1977 #105]; 3-[Klotz, 1985 #109]; 4-[Bryant, 1981 #2095]; 5-Kursar et al PNAS 78; 6-[Stadnichuk, 1984 #2198]; 7-[Klotz, 1985 #109]; 8-[Bryant, 1976 #103]; 9-[Redlinger, 1981 #396]; 10-[Glazer, 1977 #105]; 11-[Glazer, 1997 #217]; 12-[Thomas, 1999 #2027].


Table 2. Bilin types found in cyanobacterial, red algal and cryptomonad algal phycobiliproteins (primary references for these bilins can be found in MacColl & Guard-Friar [MacColl, 1987 #20], Rowan [Rowan, 1989 #138] and Wedemayer [Wedemayer, 1996 #2101; Wedemayer, 1991 #2103]

Bilin / Abbreviation / Wavelength
(nm) / Phycobiliprotein / Algal Type
Phycocyanobilin / PCB
Cys-PCB / 590-643
643 / Allophycocyanin
C-phycocyanin
Allophycocyanin-B
R-Phycocyanin
Phycocyanin 569

Phycocyanin 612

Phycocyanin 645
Phycoerythrocyanin / Red algae
Cyanobacteria
Cryptomonad
[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
Phycoerythrobilin / PEB
Cys-PEB
DiCys-PEB / 550-568
550
550 / C-phycoerythrin
CU-phycoerythrin
b-phycoerythrin
B-Phycoerythrin
R-Phycoerythrin
CU-Phycoerythrin
R-Phycocyanin
Phycoerythrin 545
Phycoerythrin 566 / Cyanobacteria
Red algae
Cryptomonads
[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
Cryptoviolin or / CV, PXB / 540-565 / Phycoerythrin 545
Phycocyanin 612
Phycocyanin 645
Phycoerythrocyanin / Cryptomonad
Cyanobacteria
Phycourobilin / PUB / about 495 / B-phycoerythrin
R-phyocerythrin
CU-phycoerythrin / Red algae
Cyanobacteria
Dihydrobiliverdin / Cys-DBV
Di-Cys-DBV / 562
562 / Cryptomonad[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
Mesobiliverdin / Cys-MBV 684 / 684 / Cryptomonad [Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
Bilin 584 / Cys-Bilin 584
DiCys-Bilin / 584
584 / Phycocyanin 569
Phycocyanin 569 / Cryptomonad[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101; Wedemayer, 1991 #2103]
[Wedemayer, 1996 #2101]
Bilin 618 / Cys-Bilin 618 / 618 / Cryptomonad [Wedemayer, 1996 #2101; Wedemayer, 1991 #2103]
697 nm bilin / 697B / 697 / Phycocyanin 645 / Cryptomonad


Figure 5. Structures of phycobiliprotein bilins. Panel A) dihydrobiliverdin (DBV), mesobiliverdin(MBV) and bilin-618 – common cryptomonad bilins and isomers. Panel B) phycourobilin (PUB), phycoerythrobilin (PEB), phycocyanobilin (PCB) and phycobiliviolin (PXB, also known as cryptoviolin or CV) – common red and cyanobacterial bilins and isomers. PXB also found in cryptomonads. Panel C) Bilin 584 and phytochromobilin – cryptomonad bilin isomer of phytochrome bilin.

Figure 6. Schematic representation of phycobilin biosynthetic pathyway[Rhie, 1994 #2148]. The reactions are catalyzed by (1) heme oxygenase, with nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate reduced (NADPH) and ferredoxin (Fd) as cofactors (2) biliverdin IXa 15, 16-reductase with NADPH and Fd as cofactors (3) 15, 16-dihyrobiliverdin IXa pyrrole-reductase with NADPH and Fd as cofactors, (4) phycoerythrobilin/phycocyanobilin isomerase then (5) phycobilin ethylindine cis-trans isomerase. Reactions 4’ and 5’ are possible alternative pathways.