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Sandmann G. Genes and Pathway Reactions Related to Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Purple Bacteria. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1346. [PMID: 37887056 PMCID: PMC10604819 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Revised: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
In purple bacteria, the genes of the carotenoid pathways are part of photosynthesis gene clusters which were distributed among different species by horizontal gene transfer. Their close organisation facilitated the first-time cloning of carotenogenic genes and promoted the molecular investigation of spheroidene and spirilloxanthin biosynthesis. This review highlights the cloning of the spheroidene and spirilloxanthin pathway genes and presents the current knowledge on the enzymes involved in the carotenoid biosynthesis of purple sulphur and non-sulphur bacteria. Mostly, spheroidene or spirilloxanthin biosynthesis exists in purple non-sulphur bacteria but both pathways operate simultaneously in Rubrivivax gelatinosus. In the following years, genes from other bacteria including purple sulphur bacteria with an okenone pathway were cloned. The individual steps were investigated by kinetic studies with heterologously expressed pathway genes which supported the establishment of the reaction mechanisms. In particular, the substrate and product specificities revealed the sequential order of the speroidene and spiriloxanthin pathways as well as their interactions. Information on the enzymes involved revealed that the phytoene desaturase determines the type of pathway by the formation of different products. By selection of mutants with amino acid exchanges in the putative substrate-binding site, the neurosporene-forming phytoene desaturase could be changed into a lycopene-producing enzyme and vice versa. Concerning the oxygen groups in neurosporene and lycopene, the tertiary alcohol group at C1 is formed from water and not by oxygenation, and the C2 or C4 keto groups are inserted differently by an oxygen-dependent or oxygen-independent ketolation reaction, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany
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2
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Dzakovich MP, Debelo H, Albertsen MC, Che P, Jones TJ, Simon MK, Zhao ZY, Glassman K, Ferruzzi MG. Trait stacking simultaneously enhances provitamin A carotenoid and mineral bioaccessibility in biofortified Sorghum bicolor. Food Funct 2023. [PMID: 37449680 DOI: 10.1039/d2fo03606a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Vitamin A, iron, and zinc deficiencies are major nutritional inadequacies in sub-Saharan Africa and disproportionately affect women and children. Biotechnology strategies have been tested to individually improve provitamin A carotenoid or mineral content and/or bioaccessibility in staple crops including sorghum (Sorghum bicolor). However, concurrent carotenoid and mineral enhancement has not been thoroughly assessed and antagonism between these chemical classes has been reported. This work evaluated two genetically engineered constructs containing a suite of heterologous genes to increase carotenoid stability and pathway flux, as well as phytase to catabolize phytate and increase mineral bioaccessibility. Model porridges made from transgenic events were evaluated for carotenoid and mineral content as well as bioaccessibility. Transgenic events produced markedly higher amounts of carotenoids (26.4 μg g-1 DW) compared to null segregants (4.2 μg g-1 DW) and wild-type control (Tx430; 3.7 μg g-1 DW). Phytase activation by pre-steeping flour resulted in significant phytate reduction (9.4 to 4.2 mg g-1 DW), altered the profile of inositol phosphate catabolites, and reduced molar ratios of phytate to iron (16.0 to 4.1), and zinc (19.0 to 4.9) in engineered material, suggesting improved mineral bioaccessibility. Improved phytate : mineral ratios did not significantly affect micellarization and bioaccessible provitamin A carotenoids were over 23 times greater in transgenic events compared to corresponding null segregants and wild-type controls. A 200 g serving of porridge made with these transgenic events provide an estimated 53.7% of a 4-8-year-old child's vitamin A estimated average requirement. These data suggest that combinatorial approaches to enhance micronutrient content and bioaccessibility are feasible and warrant further assessment in human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael P Dzakovich
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, 600 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, USA
- USDA-ARS Children's Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 Bates Ave., Houston, TX 77030, USA.
| | - Hawi Debelo
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, 600 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, USA
| | | | - Ping Che
- Corteva Agriscience, 8305 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, IA 50131, USA
| | - Todd J Jones
- Corteva Agriscience, 8305 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, IA 50131, USA
| | - Marissa K Simon
- Corteva Agriscience, 8305 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, IA 50131, USA
| | - Zuo-Yu Zhao
- Corteva Agriscience, 8305 NW 62nd Ave., Johnston, IA 50131, USA
| | | | - Mario G Ferruzzi
- Plants for Human Health Institute, North Carolina State University, 600 Laureate Way, Kannapolis, North Carolina 28081, USA
- Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center, Section of Developmental Nutrition, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 15 Children's Way, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA.
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3
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Song Z, Lu Y, Liu X, Wei C, Oladipo A, Fan B. Evaluation of Pantoea eucalypti FBS135 for pine (Pinus massoniana) growth promotion and its genome analysis. J Appl Microbiol 2020; 129:958-970. [PMID: 32329126 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Pinus massoniana is one of the most widely distributed forest plants in China. In this study, we isolated a bacterial endophyte (designated FBS135) from apical buds and needles of P. massoniana. Investigations were performed to understand the effects of the strain on pine growth, its genomic features and the functions of the plasmids it carries. METHODS AND RESULTS Based on its morphological features and 16S rRNA sequence, strain FBS135 was primarily identified as Pantoea eucalypti. We found that FBS135 not only promoted the growth of P. massoniana seedlings, but also significantly increased the survival rate of pine seedlings. The whole genome of FBS135 was sequenced, which revealed that the bacterium carries one chromosome and four plasmids. Its chromosome is 4 023 751 bp in size and contains dozens of genes involved in plant symbiosis. Curing one of the four plasmids, pPant1, resulted in a decrease in the size of the FBS135 colonies and the loss of the ability to synthesize yellow pigment, indicating that this plasmid may be very important for FBS135. CONCLUSIONS Pantoea eucalypti FBS135 has a genomic basis to be implicated in plant-associated lifestyle and was established to have the capability to promote pine growth. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that such a bacterial species, P. eucalypti, was isolated from pine trees and evidenced to have pine beneficial activities. Our results elucidate the ecological effects of endophytes on forest plants as well as endophyte-plant interaction mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Song
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Y Lu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - X Liu
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - C Wei
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - A Oladipo
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - B Fan
- Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Forestry, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Gabriel HB, Azevedo MF, Kimura EA, Katzin AM. Plasmodium falciparum parasites overexpressing farnesyl diphosphate synthase/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase are more resistant to risedronate. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2018; 113:e180174. [PMID: 30110072 PMCID: PMC6086031 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760180174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Farnesyl diphosphate synthase/geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase (FPPS/GGPPS) is a key enzyme in the synthesis of isoprenic chains. Risedronate, a bisphosphonate containing nitrogen (N-BP), is a potent inhibitor of blood stage Plasmodium. Here, we show that P. falciparum parasites overexpressing FPPS/GGPPS are more resistant to risedronate, suggesting that this enzyme is an important target, and bisphosphonate analogues can be used as potential antimalarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heloisa B Gabriel
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro F Azevedo
- Departamento de Biociências, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Santos, SP, Brazil
| | - Emília A Kimura
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Alejandro M Katzin
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Schöner TA, Gassel S, Osawa A, Tobias NJ, Okuno Y, Sakakibara Y, Shindo K, Sandmann G, Bode HB. Aryl Polyenes, a Highly Abundant Class of Bacterial Natural Products, Are Functionally Related to Antioxidative Carotenoids. Chembiochem 2016; 17:247-53. [PMID: 26629877 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.201500474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Bacterial pigments of the aryl polyene type are structurally similar to the well-known carotenoids with respect to their polyene systems. Their biosynthetic gene cluster is widespread in taxonomically distant bacteria, and four classes of such pigments have been found. Here we report the structure elucidation of the aryl polyene/dialkylresorcinol hybrid pigments of Variovorax paradoxus B4 by HPLC-UV-MS, MALDI-MS and NMR. Furthermore, we show for the first time that this pigment class protects the bacterium from reactive oxygen species, similarly to what is known for carotenoids. An analysis of the distribution of biosynthetic genes for aryl polyenes and carotenoids in bacterial genomes is presented; it shows a complementary distribution of these protective pigments in bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim A Schöner
- Merck Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sören Gassel
- Biosynthesis Group, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ayako Osawa
- Japan Women's University, 2-8-1, Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Nicholas J Tobias
- Merck Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yukari Okuno
- Japan Women's University, 2-8-1, Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Yui Sakakibara
- Japan Women's University, 2-8-1, Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Kazutoshi Shindo
- Japan Women's University, 2-8-1, Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 112-8681, Japan
| | - Gerhard Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Helge B Bode
- Merck Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue Strasse 9, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. .,Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 15, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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In Vitro Antimalarial Activity of Different Inhibitors of the Plasmodial Isoprenoid Synthesis Pathway. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:5084-7. [PMID: 26055383 DOI: 10.1128/aac.04161-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that fosmidomycin, risedronate, and nerolidol exert antimalarial activity in vitro. We included squalestatin, an inhibitor of the isoprenoid metabolism in Erwinia uredovora, and found that combinations of compounds which act on different targets of the plasmodial isoprenoid pathway possess important supra-additivity effects.
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Squalestatin is an inhibitor of carotenoid biosynthesis in Plasmodium falciparum. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2015; 59:3180-8. [PMID: 25779575 DOI: 10.1128/aac.04500-14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The increasing resistance of malaria parasites to almost all available drugs calls for the characterization of novel targets and the identification of new compounds. Carotenoids are polyisoprenoids from plants, algae, and some bacteria, and they are biosynthesized by Plasmodium falciparum but not by mammalian cells. Biochemical and reverse genetics approaches were applied to demonstrate that phytoene synthase (PSY) is a key enzyme for carotenoid biosynthesis in P. falciparum and is essential for intraerythrocytic growth. The known PSY inhibitor squalestatin reduces biosynthesis of phytoene and kills parasites during the intraerythrocytic cycle. PSY-overexpressing parasites showed increased biosynthesis of phytoene and its derived product phytofluene and presented a squalestatin-resistant phenotype, suggesting that this enzyme is the primary target of action of this drug in the parasite.
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Moran NE, Clinton SK, Erdman JW. Differential bioavailability, clearance, and tissue distribution of the acyclic tomato carotenoids lycopene and phytoene in mongolian gerbils. J Nutr 2013; 143:1920-6. [PMID: 24108134 PMCID: PMC3827638 DOI: 10.3945/jn.113.181461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Lycopene (LYC) is the major tomato carotenoid and is the focus of substantial research. Phytoene (PE), a minor tomato carotenoid, is found in human blood and tissues in similar concentrations to LYC. To determine which metabolic differences underlie this phenomenon, Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus, n = 56) were fed control or tomato powder (TP)-containing diets (to establish steady-state serum and tissue carotenoid concentrations similar to tomato-fed humans) for 26 d. The TP-fed gerbils were then provided either a single, oral, cottonseed oil (CO) vehicle dose and tissues were collected at 6 h or they were provided unlabeled PE or LYC in CO and tissues were evaluated at 6, 12, or 24 h. In vehicle-dosed, TP-fed gerbils, LYC was the major carotenoid (≥ 55% carotenoids) in liver, spleen, testes, and the prostate-seminal vesicle complex, whereas PE was the major serum and adipose carotenoid (≥ 37% total carotenoid) and phytofluene was the major carotenoid (≥ 38%) in adrenals and lungs. PE dosing increased hepatic, splenic, and serum PE concentrations compared with vehicle dosing (P < 0.05) from 6 to 24 h, whereas LYC dosing increased only serum LYC at 6 and 12 h (P < 0.05) compared with vehicle dosing. This suggested PE was more bioavailable and cleared more slowly than LYC. To precisely track absorptive and distributive differences, (14)C-PE or (14)C-LYC (n = 2/group) was provided to TP-fed gerbils. Bioavailability assessed by carcass (14)C-content was 23% for PE and 8% for LYC. Nearly every extra-hepatic tissue accumulated greater dose radioactivity after (14)C-PE than (14)C-LYC dosing. Thus, LYC and PE, which structurally differ only by saturation, pharmacokinetically differ in bioavailability, tissue deposition, and clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Steven K. Clinton
- Comprehensive Cancer Center,Division of Medical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH; and
| | - John W. Erdman
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL,To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
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High-level production of the industrial product lycopene by the photosynthetic bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:7205-15. [PMID: 22865070 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00545-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The biosynthesis of the major carotenoid spirilloxanthin by the purple nonsulfur bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum is thought to occur via a linear pathway proceeding through phytoene and, later, lycopene as intermediates. This assumption is based solely on early chemical evidence (B. H. Davies, Biochem. J. 116:93-99, 1970). In most purple bacteria, the desaturation of phytoene, catalyzed by the enzyme phytoene desaturase (CrtI), leads to neurosporene, involving only three dehydrogenation steps and not four as in the case of lycopene. We show here that the chromosomal insertion of a kanamycin resistance cassette into the crtC-crtD region of the partial carotenoid gene cluster, whose gene products are responsible for the downstream processing of lycopene, leads to the accumulation of the latter as the major carotenoid. We provide spectroscopic and biochemical evidence that in vivo, lycopene is incorporated into the light-harvesting complex 1 as efficiently as the methoxylated carotenoids spirilloxanthin (in the wild type) and 3,4,3',4'-tetrahydrospirilloxanthin (in a crtD mutant), both under semiaerobic, chemoheterotrophic, and photosynthetic, anaerobic conditions. Quantitative growth experiments conducted in dark, semiaerobic conditions, using a growth medium for high cell density and high intracellular membrane levels, which are suitable for the conventional industrial production in the absence of light, yielded lycopene at up to 2 mg/g (dry weight) of cells or up to 15 mg/liter of culture. These values are comparable to those of many previously described Escherichia coli strains engineered for lycopene production. This study provides the first genetic proof that the R. rubrum CrtI produces lycopene exclusively as an end product.
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Biological role of pigment production for the bacterial phytopathogen Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2012; 78:6859-65. [PMID: 22820327 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01574-12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, the causal agent of Stewart's wilt of sweet corn, produces a yellow carotenoid pigment. A nonpigmented mutant was selected from a bank of mutants generated by random transposon mutagenesis. The transposon insertion site was mapped to the crtB gene, encoding a putative phytoene synthase, an enzyme involved in the early steps of carotenoid biosynthesis. We demonstrate here that the carotenoid pigment imparts protection against UV radiation and also contributes to the complete antioxidant pathway of P. stewartii. Moreover, production of this pigment is regulated by the EsaI/EsaR quorum-sensing system and significantly contributes to the virulence of the pathogen in planta.
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Díaz-Sánchez V, Estrada AF, Trautmann D, Limón MC, Al-Babili S, Avalos J. Analysis of al-2 mutations in Neurospora. PLoS One 2011; 6:e21948. [PMID: 21818281 PMCID: PMC3139582 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0021948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 06/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The orange pigmentation of the fungus Neurospora crassa is due to the accumulation of the xanthophyll neurosporaxanthin and precursor carotenoids. Two key reactions in the synthesis of these pigments, the formation of phytoene from geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate and the introduction of β cycles in desaturated carotenoid products, are catalyzed by two domains of a bifunctional protein, encoded by the gene al-2. We have determined the sequence of nine al-2 mutant alleles and analyzed the carotenoid content in the corresponding strains. One of the mutants is reddish and it is mutated in the cyclase domain of the protein, and the remaining eight mutants are albino and harbor different mutations on the phytoene synthase (PS) domain. Some of the mutations are expected to produce truncated polypeptides. A strain lacking most of the PS domain contained trace amounts of a carotenoid-like pigment, tentatively identified as the squalene desaturation product diapolycopene. In support, trace amounts of this compound were also found in a knock-out mutant for gene al-2, but not in that for gene al-1, coding for the carotene desaturase. The cyclase activity of the AL-2 enzyme from two albino mutants was investigated by heterologous expression in an appropriately engineered E. coli strain. One of the AL-2 enzymes, predictably with only 20% of the PS domain, showed full cyclase activity, suggesting functional independence of both domains. However, the second mutant showed no cyclase activity, indicating that some alterations in the phytoene synthase segment affect the cyclase domain. Expression experiments showed a diminished photoinduction of al-2 transcripts in the al-2 mutants compared to the wild type strain, suggesting a synergic effect between reduced expression and impaired enzymatic activities in the generation of their albino phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violeta Díaz-Sánchez
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Alejandro F. Estrada
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Danika Trautmann
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M. Carmen Limón
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Javier Avalos
- Department of Genetics, Faculty of Biology, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
- * E-mail:
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Misawa N. Carotenoid β-ring hydroxylase and ketolase from marine bacteria-promiscuous enzymes for synthesizing functional xanthophylls. Mar Drugs 2011; 9:757-771. [PMID: 21673887 PMCID: PMC3111180 DOI: 10.3390/md9050757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2011] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Marine bacteria belonging to genera Paracoccus and Brevundimonas of the α-Proteobacteria class can produce C40-type dicyclic carotenoids containing two β-end groups (β rings) that are modified with keto and hydroxyl groups. These bacteria produce astaxanthin, adonixanthin, and their derivatives, which are ketolated by carotenoid β-ring 4(4′)-ketolase (4(4′)-oxygenase; CrtW) and hydroxylated by carotenoid β-ring 3(3′)-hydroxylase (CrtZ). In addition, the genus Brevundimonas possesses a gene for carotenoid β-ring 2(2′)-hydroxylase (CrtG). This review focuses on these carotenoid β-ring-modifying enzymes that are promiscuous for carotenoid substrates, and pathway engineering for the production of xanthophylls (oxygen-containing carotenoids) in Escherichia coli, using these enzyme genes. Such pathway engineering researches are performed towards efficient production not only of commercially important xanthophylls such as astaxanthin, but also of xanthophylls minor in nature (e.g., β-ring(s)-2(2′)-hydroxylated carotenoids).
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Affiliation(s)
- Norihiko Misawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Suematsu, Nonoichi-machi, Ishikawa 921-8836, Japan
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13
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Albermann C. High versus low level expression of the lycopene biosynthesis genes from Pantoea ananatis in Escherichia coli. Biotechnol Lett 2010; 33:313-9. [DOI: 10.1007/s10529-010-0422-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2010] [Accepted: 09/17/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Harada H, Misawa N. Novel approaches and achievements in biosynthesis of functional isoprenoids in Escherichia coli. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2009; 84:1021-31. [PMID: 19672590 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-009-2166-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2009] [Revised: 07/01/2009] [Accepted: 07/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Isoprenoids, also referred to as terpenes, are the most diverse class of natural products appearing in a variety of natural sources, specifically in higher plants, and have a wide range of biological functions. This review describes novel or recent approaches and achievements in pathway engineering of Escherichia coli towards efficient biosynthesis of functional isoprenoids, specifically carotenoids and sesquiterpene, following description of "regularity and simplicity" in the biosynthesis of isoprenoid basic structures. The introduction of heterologous mevalonate pathway-based genes into E. coli has been shown to improve the productivity of carotenoids or sesquiterpenes that are synthesized from farnesyl diphosphate. This achievement also enables relevant researchers to efficiently analyze an isolated gene candidate for a terpene synthase (terpene cyclase).
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Affiliation(s)
- Hisashi Harada
- Central Laboratories for Frontier Technology, Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd., i-BIRD, Suematsu, Nonoichi-machi, Ishikawa, Japan
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Tonhosolo R, D'Alexandri FL, de Rosso VV, Gazarini ML, Matsumura MY, Peres VJ, Merino EF, Carlton JM, Wunderlich G, Mercadante AZ, Kimura EA, Katzin AM. Carotenoid biosynthesis in intraerythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum. J Biol Chem 2009; 284:9974-85. [PMID: 19203994 PMCID: PMC2665121 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m807464200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2008] [Revised: 02/06/2009] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Carotenoids are widespread lipophilic pigments synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms and some nonphotosynthetic fungi and bacteria. All carotenoids are derived from the C40 isoprenoid precursor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, and their chemical and physical properties are associated with light absorption, free radical scavenging, and antioxidant activity. Carotenoids are generally synthesized in well defined subcellular organelles, the plastids, which are also present in the phylum Apicomplexa, which comprises a number of important human parasites, such as Plasmodium and Toxoplasma. Recently, it was demonstrated that Toxoplasma gondii synthesizes abscisic acid. We therefore asked if Plasmodium falciparum is also capable of synthesizing carotenoids. Herein, biochemical findings demonstrated the presence of carotenoid biosynthesis in the intraerythrocytic stages of the apicomplexan parasite P. falciparum. Using metabolic labeling with radioisotopes, in vitro inhibition tests with norflurazon, a specific inhibitor of plant carotenoid biosynthesis, the results showed that intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum synthesize carotenoid compounds. A plasmodial enzyme that presented phytoene synthase activity was also identified and characterized. These findings not only contribute to the current understanding of P. falciparum evolution but shed light on a pathway that could serve as a chemotherapeutic target.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Tonhosolo
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Lineu Prestes 1374, CEP 05508-000, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Maresca JA, Graham JE, Bryant DA. The biochemical basis for structural diversity in the carotenoids of chlorophototrophic bacteria. PHOTOSYNTHESIS RESEARCH 2008; 97:121-40. [PMID: 18535920 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-008-9312-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2008] [Accepted: 05/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing work has led to the identification of most of the biochemical steps in carotenoid biosynthesis in chlorophototrophic bacteria. In carotenogenesis, a relatively small number of modifications leads to a great diversity of carotenoid structures. This review examines the individual steps in the pathway, discusses how each contributes to structural diversity among carotenoids, and summarizes recent progress in elucidating the biosynthetic pathways for carotenoids in chlorophototrophs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia A Maresca
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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17
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Cloning, solubilization, and characterization of squalene synthase from Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1. J Bacteriol 2008; 190:3808-16. [PMID: 18375558 DOI: 10.1128/jb.01939-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Squalene synthase (SQS) is a bifunctional enzyme that catalyzes the condensation of two molecules of farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) to give presqualene diphosphate (PSPP) and the subsequent rearrangement of PSPP to squalene. These reactions constitute the first pathway-specific steps in hopane biosynthesis in Bacteria and sterol biosynthesis in Eukarya. The genes encoding SQS were isolated from the hopane-producing bacteria Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1, Bradyrhizobium japonicum, and Zymomonas mobilis and cloned into an Escherichia coli expression system. The expressed proteins with a His(6) tag were found exclusively in inclusion bodies when no additives were used in the buffer. After extensive optimization, soluble recombinant T. elongatus BP-1 SQS was obtained when cells were disrupted and purified in buffers containing glycerol. The recombinant B. japonicum and Z. mobilis SQSs could not be solubilized under any of the expression and purification conditions used. Purified T. elongatus His(6)-SQS gave a single band at 42 kDa by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and molecular ion at m/z 41886 by electrospray mass spectrometry. Incubation with FPP and NADPH gave squalene as the sole product. Incubation of the enzyme with [(14)C]FPP in the absence of NADPH gave PSPP. The enzyme requires Mg(2+) for activity, has an optimum pH of 7.6, and is strongly stimulated by detergent. Under optimal conditions, the K(m) of FPP is 0.97 +/- 0.10 microM and the k(cat) is 1.74 +/- 0.04 s(-1). Zaragozic acid A, a potent inhibitor of mammalian, fungal, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae SQSs, also inhibited recombinant T. elongatus BP-1 SQS, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 95.5 +/- 13.6 nM.
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Abstract
Throughout human history, natural products have been the foundation for the discovery and development of therapeutics used to treat diseases ranging from cardiovascular disease to cancer. Their chemical diversity and complexity have provided structural scaffolds for small-molecule drugs and have consistently served as inspiration for medicinal design. However, the chemical complexity of natural products also presents one of the main roadblocks for production of these pharmaceuticals on an industrial scale. Chemical synthesis of natural products is often difficult and expensive, and isolation from their natural sources is also typically low yielding. Synthetic biology and metabolic engineering offer an alternative approach that is becoming more accessible as the tools for engineering microbes are further developed. By reconstructing heterologous metabolic pathways in genetically tractable host organisms, complex natural products can be produced from inexpensive sugar starting materials through large-scale fermentation processes. In this Perspective, we discuss ongoing research aimed toward the production of terpenoid natural products in genetically engineered Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Y Chang
- California Institute for Quantitative Biomedical Research, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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Fraser PD, Romer S, Shipton CA, Mills PB, Kiano JW, Misawa N, Drake RG, Schuch W, Bramley PM. Evaluation of transgenic tomato plants expressing an additional phytoene synthase in a fruit-specific manner. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2002; 99:1092-7. [PMID: 11805345 PMCID: PMC117435 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.241374598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 241] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2001] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Phytoene synthase from the bacterium Erwinia uredovora (crtB) has been overexpressed in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Ailsa Craig). Fruit-specific expression was achieved by using the tomato polygalacturonase promoter, and the CRTB protein was targeted to the chromoplast by the tomato phytoene synthase-1 transit sequence. Total fruit carotenoids of primary transformants (T(0)) were 2-4-fold higher than the controls, whereas phytoene, lycopene, beta-carotene, and lutein levels were increased 2.4-, 1.8-, and 2.2-fold, respectively. The biosynthetically related isoprenoids, tocopherols plastoquinone and ubiquinone, were unaffected by changes in carotenoid levels. The progeny (T(1) and T(2) generations) inherited both the transgene and phenotype. Determination of enzyme activity and Western blot analysis revealed that the CRTB protein was plastid-located and catalytically active, with 5-10-fold elevations in total phytoene synthase activity. Metabolic control analysis suggests that the presence of an additional phytoene synthase reduces the regulatory effect of this step over the carotenoid pathway. The activities of other enzymes in the pathway (isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, and incorporation of isopentenyl diphosphate into phytoene) were not significantly altered by the presence of the bacterial phytoene synthase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Fraser
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 OEX, United Kingdom
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20
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Abstract
A survey is given on the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway leading to beta-carotene and its oxidation products in bacteria and plants. This includes the synthesis of prenyl pyrophosphates via the mevalonate or the 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate pathways as well as the reaction sequences of carotenoid formation and interconversion together with the properties of the enzymes involved. Biotechnological application of this knowledge resulted in the development of heterologous carotenoid production systems using bacteria and fungi with metabolic engineered precursor supply and crop plants with manipulated carotenoid biosynthesis. The recent developments in engineering crops with increased carotenoid contents are covered.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Sandmann
- Botanisches Institut, J. W. Goethe Universität Frankfurt, Germany
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Abstract
The metabolic engineering of natural products has begun to prosper in the past few years due to genomic research and the discovery of biosynthetic genes. While the biosynthetic pathways and genes for some isoprenoids have been known for many years, new pathways have been found and known pathways have been further investigated. In this article, we review the recent advances in metabolic engineering of isoprenoids, focusing on the molecular genetics that affects pathway engineering the most. Examples in mono- sequi-, and diterpenoid synthesis as well as carotenoid production are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Barkovich
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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Sandmann G, Albrecht M, Schnurr G, Knörzer O, Böger P. The biotechnological potential and design of novel carotenoids by gene combination in Escherichia coli. Trends Biotechnol 1999; 17:233-7. [PMID: 10354560 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-7799(99)01307-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoids are antioxidants with considerable pharmaceutical potential. More than 600 carotenoid structures are known but their availability is limited owing to practical difficulties associated with chemical synthesis and isolation from microorganisms or plant tissue. To overcome some of these problems, heterologous expression of carotenoid genes in Escherichia coli can be used for the synthesis of rare derivatives or even of novel carotenoids. Novel and rare carotenoids can be obtained by combining carotenoid genes from different host species in E. coli.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Botanical Institute, J.W. Goethe Universität, PO Box 111932, D-60054 Frankfurt, Germany.
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