title: Isolation and functional characterisation of a novel type of carotenoid biosynthetic gene from Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.
abstract: The red heterobasidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (perfect state of Phaffia rhodozyma) contains a novel type of carotenoid biosynthetic enzyme. Its structural gene, designated crtYB, was isolated by functional complementation in a genetically modified, carotenogenic Escherichia coli strain. Expression studies in different carotenogenic E. coli strains demonstrated that the crt YB gene encodes a bifunctional protein involved both in synthesis of phytoene from geranylgeranyl diphosphate and in cyclisation of lycopene to beta-carotene. By sequence comparison with other phytoene synthases and complementation studies in E. coli with various deletion derivatives of the crtYB gene, the regions responsible for phytoene synthesis and lycopene cyclisation were localised within the protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology and Nutritional Sciences, Wageningen University, The Netherlands. Jan.Verdoes@imb.ftns.wau.nl
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Verdoes
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Krubasik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandmann
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: van Ooyen
mesh_terms: D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D005800:Genes, Fungal; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D024341:Xanthophylls; D015003:Yeasts / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C005948:astaxanthine; D019883:Alkyl and Aryl Transferases; D051232:Geranylgeranyl-Diphosphate Geranylgeranyltransferase; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases; C070925:lycopene cyclase-isomerase