title: Molecular evolution of lycopene cyclases involved in the formation of carotenoids with ionone end groups.
abstract: A survey is given of the lycopene cyclase genes present in bacteria, fungi and plants where two completely unrelated types exist. One is the classical monomeric bacterial beta-cyclase gene, crtY, which may be an ancestor of crtL, the gene for a beta-cyclase in cyanobacteria. From crtL a line of evolution can be drawn to plant beta- and epsilon-cyclase genes and to the gene of capsanthin/capsorubin synthase. In Gram-positive bacteria two genes crtYc and crtYd are present. They encode two proteins which have to interact as a heterodimer for lycopene beta-cyclization. From this type of lycopene cyclase gene the fungal lycopene cyclase/phytoene synthase fusion gene evolved.
authors.affiliation: Biosynthesis Group, Botanical Institute, J.W. Goethe Universität, P.O. Box 111930, D-60054 Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Krubasik
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sandmann
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001419:Bacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D000458:Cyanobacteria / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D019281:Dimerization; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases; C070925:lycopene cyclase-isomerase