title: A gene for carotene cleavage required for pheromone biosynthesis and carotene regulation in the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus.
abstract: Mating and sexual development in fungi are controlled by molecular mechanisms that are specific for each fungal group. Mating in Phycomyces blakesleeanus and other Mucorales requires pheromones derived from β-carotene. Phycomyces mutants in gene carS accumulate large amounts of β-carotene but do not enter the sexual process. We show that carS encodes a β-carotene-cleaving oxygenase that catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of a variety of apocarotenoids, including those that act as pheromones. Therefore carS mutants cannot stimulate their sexual partners, although they respond to them. CarS catalyzes the biosynthesis of a β-ring-containing apocarotenoid that inhibits the activity of the carotenogenic enzyme complex in vegetative cells and provides a feedback regulation for the β-carotene pathway. The carS gene product is a keystone in carotenogenesis and in sexual reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, 41080 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Víctor G
authors.initials: VG
authors.lastname: Tagua
authors.forename: Humberto R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Medina
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Martín-Domínguez
authors.forename: Arturo P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Eslava
authors.forename: Luis M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Corrochano
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cerdá-Olmedo
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Idnurm
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D004271:DNA, Fungal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010675:Pheromones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010800:Phycomyces / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
chemical_list: D004271:DNA, Fungal; D010675:Pheromones; D002338:Carotenoids; D010105:Oxygenases