The Rhodobacter sphaeroides hemA and hemT are known to encode a distinct 5-aminolevulinic
acid (ALA)-synthase isozyme. This enzyme catalyzes the first and rate limiting step in ALA biosynthesis
through the C4 pathway. This study was carried out to detect hemA-\\ke and hemT-\\ke genes in twenty
Anoxygenic Photosynthetic Bacterial (APB) isolates from several wetland areas in Indonesia, and four
DNA samples that were isolated from four soil samples obtained from Bogor area. Hybridization
techniques of Southern and dot blot were used, using hemA and hemT fragment as probes. Southern
hybridization analyses indicated the presence of hemA-\\ke gene in five of APB isolates, i.e., MB15,
MB16, MB21.2, MB55 and MB6, whereas hemT-\\ke gene was detected only in MB15. Dot blot
hybridization analyses suggested that the soil samples from waterlogged paddy-field, dry paddy-field as
well as a mud pond were predominantly occupied by prokaryotic organisms which harboured hemA-]\ke
gene. However, /iem7"-like sequences were also found in soil sample from dry paddy-field.