Characterization of an apo-carotenoid 13,14-dioxygenase from Novosphingobium aromaticivorans that converts β-apo-8'-carotenal to β-apo-13-carotenone

Carotenoids biosynthesis and cleavage related genes from bacteria to plants

Carotenoids are essential for photosynthesis and photoprotection in photosynthetic organisms and beneficial for human health. Apocarotenoids derived from carotenoid degradation can serve critical functions including hormones, volatiles, and signals. They have been used commercially as food colorants, animal feed supplements, and nutraceuticals for cosmetic and pharmaceutical purposes. This review focuses on the molecular evolution of carotenogenic enzymes and carotenoid cleavage oxygenases (CCOs) from bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria, algae, and plants. The diversity of carotenoids and apocarotenoids as well as their complicated biosynthetic pathway in different species can shed light on the history of early molecular evolution. Some carotenogenic genes (such as phytoene synthases) have high protein sequence similarity from bacteria to land plants, but some (such as phytoene desaturases, lycopene cyclases, carotenoid hydroxylases, and CCOs) have low similarity. The broad diversity of apocarotenoid volatile compounds can be attributed to large numbers of carotenoid precursors and the various cleavage sites catalyzed by CCOs enzymes. A variety of carotenogenic enzymes and CCOs indicate the functional diversification of carotenoids and apocrotenoids in different species. New carotenoids, new apocarotenoids, new carotenogenic enzymes, new CCOs, and new pathways still need to be explored.

Carotenoid Cleavage Oxygenases from Microbes and Photosynthetic Organisms: Features and Functions

Apocarotenoids are carotenoid-derived compounds widespread in all major taxonomic groups, where they play important roles in different physiological processes. In addition, apocarotenoids include compounds with high economic value in food and cosmetics industries. Apocarotenoid biosynthesis starts with the action of carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs), a family of non-heme iron enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carbon-carbon double bonds in carotenoid backbones through a similar molecular mechanism, generating aldehyde or ketone groups in the cleaving ends. From the identification of the first CCD enzyme in plants, an increasing number of CCDs have been identified in many other species, including microorganisms, proving to be a ubiquitously distributed and evolutionarily conserved enzymatic family. This review focuses on CCDs from plants, algae, fungi, and bacteria, describing recent progress in their functions and regulatory mechanisms in relation to the different roles played by the apocarotenoids in these organisms.

The efficient and selective biocatalytic oxidation of norisoprenoid and aromatic substrates by CYP101B1 from Novosphingobium aromaticivorans DSM12444

CYP101B1 fromNovosphingobium aromaticivoransoxidises ionone derivatives and phenylcyclohexane with high activity and regioselectivity.

New insight into the cleavage reaction of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120 carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase in natural and nonnatural carotenoids

Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) are enzymes that catalyze the oxidative cleavage of carotenoids at a specific double bond to generate apocarotenoids. In this study, we investigated the activity and substrate preferences of NSC3, a CCD of Nostoc sp. strain PCC 7120, in vivo and in vitro using natural and nonnatural carotenoid structures. NSC3 cleaved β-apo-8'-carotenal at 3 positions, C-13 C-14, C-15 C-15', and C-13' C-14', revealing a unique cleavage pattern. NSC3 cleaves the natural structure of carotenoids 4,4'-diaponeurosporene, 4,4'-diaponeurosporen-4'-al, 4,4'-diaponeurosporen-4'-oic acid, 4,4'-diapotorulene, and 4,4'-diapotorulen-4'-al to generate novel cleavage products (apo-14'-diaponeurosporenal, apo-13'-diaponeurosporenal, apo-10'-diaponeurosporenal, apo-14'-diapotorulenal, and apo-10'-diapotorulenal, respectively). The study of carotenoids with natural or nonnatural structures produced by using synthetic modules could provide information valuable for understanding the cleavage reactions or substrate preferences of other CCDs in vivo and in vitro.