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The cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 uses bacterial‐type phytoene desaturase in carotenoid biosynthesis
Author(s) -
Tsuchiya Tohru,
Takaichi Shinichi,
Misawa Norihiko,
Maoka Takashi,
Miyashita Hideaki,
Mimuro Mamoru
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2005.02.066
Subject(s) - phytoene , phytoene desaturase , biosynthesis , carotenoid , complementation , chemistry , biochemistry , stereochemistry , gene , mutant
Carotenoid composition and its biosynthetic pathway in the cyanobacterium Gloeobacter violaceus PCC 7421 were investigated. β‐Carotene and (2 S ,2′ S )‐oscillol 2,2′‐di(α‐ l ‐fucoside), and echinenone were major and minor carotenoids, respectively. We identified two unique genes for carotenoid biosynthesis using in vivo functional complementation experiments. In Gloeobacter , a bacterial‐type phytoene desaturase (CrtI), rather than plant‐type desaturases (CrtP and CrtQ), produced lycopene. This is the first demonstration of an oxygenic photosynthetic organism utilizing bacterial‐type phytoene desaturase. We also revealed that echinenone synthesis is catalyzed by CrtW rather than CrtO. These findings indicated that Gloeobacter retains ancestral properties of carotenoid biosynthesis.