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Cloning and characterization of the astaxanthin biosynthetic gene encoding phytoene desaturase of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous
Author(s) -
Verdoes Jan C.,
Misawa Norihiko,
van Ooyen Albert J. J.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
biotechnology and bioengineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.136
H-Index - 189
eISSN - 1097-0290
pISSN - 0006-3592
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0290(19990620)63:6<750::aid-bit13>3.0.co;2-7
Subject(s) - phytoene desaturase , phytoene , biology , phytoene synthase , gene , biochemistry , escherichia coli , complementary dna , heterologous expression , astaxanthin , complementation , genetics , carotenoid , biosynthesis , recombinant dna , phenotype
The first carotenoid biosynthetic gene from the basidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous was isolated by heterologous complementation in Escherichia coli . The isolated gene, denominated as crtI , was found to encode for phytoene desaturase. The coding region is interrupted by 11 introns. The deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with its bacterial and eukaryotic counterparts, especially those of fungal origin. A plasmid containing the geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase and phytoene synthase encoding genes from Erwinia uredovora was introduced in E. coli together with the phytoene desaturase encoding cDNA from X. dendrorhous . As a result, lycopene accumulation was observed in these transformants. We conclude that in X. dendrorhous the four desaturase steps, by which phytoene is converted into lycopene, are carried out by a single gene product. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 63: 750–755, 1999.