New indole-porphyrin hybrid molecules were isolated from Escherichia coli harboring metagenomic DNA from the Japanese marine sponge Discodermia calyx. The indole was appended to the reactive vinyl substituent of the harderoporphyrin chromophore, encoded by the insert DNA. Thus, the chimeric pathway between the heterologously expressed porphyrins and the endogenous indole generated new indole-conjugated chiral porphyrins in E. coli. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.