1
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Chen HH, Wu JX, Huang R, Dai JL, Liang MH, Jiang JG. Enhancing astaxanthin accumulation through the expression of the plant-derived astaxanthin biosynthetic pathway in Dunaliella salina. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2024; 211:108697. [PMID: 38705045 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.108697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Dunaliella salina, a microalga that thrives under high-saline conditions, is notable for its high β-carotene content and the absence of a polysaccharide cell wall. These unique characteristics render it a prime candidate as a cellular platform for astaxanthin production. In this study, our initial tests in an E. coli revealed that β-ring-4-dehydrogenase (CBFD) and 4-hydroxy-β-ring-4-dehydrogenase (HBFD) genes from Adonis aestivalis outperformed β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) and β-carotene ketolase (BKT) from Haematococcus pluvialis counterparts by two-fold in terms of astaxanthin biosynthesis efficiency. Subsequently, we utilized electroporation to integrate either the BKT gene or the CBFD and HBFD genes into the genome of D. salina. In comparison to wild-type D. salina, strains transformed with BKT or CBFD and HBFD exhibited inhibited growth, underwent color changes to shades of red and yellow, and saw a nearly 50% decline in cell density. HPLC analysis confirmed astaxanthin synthesis in engineered D. salina strains, with CBFD + HBFD-D. salina yielding 134.88 ± 9.12 μg/g of dry cell weight (DCW), significantly higher than BKT-D. salina (83.58 ± 2.40 μg/g). This represents the largest amount of astaxanthin extracted from transgenic D. salina, as reported to date. These findings have significant implications, opening up new avenues for the development of specialized D. salina-based microcell factories for efficient astaxanthin production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao-Hong Chen
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China; Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Jing-Xuan Wu
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Rui Huang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Jv-Liang Dai
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China
| | - Ming-Hua Liang
- School of Life Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Jian-Guo Jiang
- School of Food Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510640, China.
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2
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Huang X, Liu L, Qiang X, Meng Y, Li Z, Huang F. Integrated Metabolomic and Transcriptomic Profiles Provide Insights into the Mechanisms of Anthocyanin and Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Petals of Medicago sativa ssp. sativa and Medicago sativa ssp. falcata. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 13:700. [PMID: 38475545 DOI: 10.3390/plants13050700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
The petals of Medicago sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata are purple and yellow, respectively. Free hybridization between M. sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata has created hybrids with various flower colors in nature. Moreover, the flower colors of alfalfa are closely correlated with yield, nutritional quality, stress tolerance and other agronomic characteristics. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of flower color formation in M. sativa ssp. sativa and M. sativa ssp. falcata, we conducted an integrative analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome of alfalfa with three different petal colors (purple, yellow and cream). The metabolic profiles suggested that anthocyanins and carotenoids are the crucial pigments in purple and yellow flowers, respectively. A quantitative exploration of the anthocyanin and carotenoid components indicated that the accumulations of cyanidin, delphinidin, peonidin, malvidin, pelargonidin and petunidin derivatives are significantly higher in purple flowers than in cream flowers. In addition, the content of carotenes (phytoene, α-carotene and β-carotene) and xanthophylls (α-cryptoxanthin, lutein, β-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin derivatives) was markedly higher in yellow flowers than in cream flowers. Furthermore, we found that delphinidin-3,5-O-diglucoside and lutein were the predominant pigments accumulated in purple and yellow flowers, respectively. The transcriptomic results revealed that twenty-five upregulated structural genes (one C4H, three 4CL, twelve CHS, two CHI, one F3H, one F3'H, one F3'5'H and four DFR) are involved in the accumulation of anthocyanins in purple flowers, and nine structural genes (two PSY, one ZDS, two CRTISO, two BCH, one ZEP and one ECH) exert an effect on the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway in yellow flowers. The findings of this study reveal the underlying mechanisms of anthocyanin and carotenoid biosynthesis in alfalfa with three classic flower colors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuzheng Huang
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
| | - Xiaojing Qiang
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
| | - Yuanfa Meng
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
| | - Zhiyong Li
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
| | - Fan Huang
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 100081, China
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3
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Nishida Y, Berg PC, Shakersain B, Hecht K, Takikawa A, Tao R, Kakuta Y, Uragami C, Hashimoto H, Misawa N, Maoka T. Astaxanthin: Past, Present, and Future. Mar Drugs 2023; 21:514. [PMID: 37888449 PMCID: PMC10608541 DOI: 10.3390/md21100514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Astaxanthin (AX), a lipid-soluble pigment belonging to the xanthophyll carotenoids family, has recently garnered significant attention due to its unique physical properties, biochemical attributes, and physiological effects. Originally recognized primarily for its role in imparting the characteristic red-pink color to various organisms, AX is currently experiencing a surge in interest and research. The growing body of literature in this field predominantly focuses on AXs distinctive bioactivities and properties. However, the potential of algae-derived AX as a solution to various global environmental and societal challenges that threaten life on our planet has not received extensive attention. Furthermore, the historical context and the role of AX in nature, as well as its significance in diverse cultures and traditional health practices, have not been comprehensively explored in previous works. This review article embarks on a comprehensive journey through the history leading up to the present, offering insights into the discovery of AX, its chemical and physical attributes, distribution in organisms, and biosynthesis. Additionally, it delves into the intricate realm of health benefits, biofunctional characteristics, and the current market status of AX. By encompassing these multifaceted aspects, this review aims to provide readers with a more profound understanding and a robust foundation for future scientific endeavors directed at addressing societal needs for sustainable nutritional and medicinal solutions. An updated summary of AXs health benefits, its present market status, and potential future applications are also included for a well-rounded perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuhiro Nishida
- Fuji Chemical Industries, Co., Ltd., 55 Yokohoonji, Kamiich-machi, Nakaniikawa-gun, Toyama 930-0405, Japan
| | | | - Behnaz Shakersain
- AstaReal AB, Signum, Forumvägen 14, Level 16, 131 53 Nacka, Sweden; (P.C.B.); (B.S.)
| | - Karen Hecht
- AstaReal, Inc., 3 Terri Lane, Unit 12, Burlington, NJ 08016, USA;
| | - Akiko Takikawa
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan;
| | - Ruohan Tao
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Yumeka Kakuta
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Chiasa Uragami
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Hideki Hashimoto
- Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kwansei Gakuin University, 1 Gakuen-Uegahara, Sanda 669-1330, Japan; (R.T.); (Y.K.); (C.U.); (H.H.)
| | - Norihiko Misawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Suematsu, Nonoichi-shi 921-8836, Japan;
| | - Takashi Maoka
- Research Institute for Production Development, 15 Shimogamo-morimoto-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-0805, Japan
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4
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Roth JH, Ward VCA. Production of Astaxanthin Using CBFD1/HFBD1 from Adonis aestivalis and the Isopentenol Utilization Pathway in Escherichia coli. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:1033. [PMID: 37760135 PMCID: PMC10525928 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10091033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Astaxanthin is a powerful antioxidant and is used extensively as an animal feed additive and nutraceutical product. Here, we report the use of the β-carotene hydroxylase (CBFD1) and the β-carotene ketolase (HBFD1) from Adonis aestivalis, a flowering plant, to produce astaxanthin in E. coli equipped with the P. agglomerans β-carotene pathway and an over-expressed 4-methylerythritol-phosphate (MEP) pathway or the isopentenol utilization pathway (IUP). Introduction of the over-expressed MEP pathway and the IUP resulted in a 3.2-fold higher carotenoid content in LB media at 36 h post-induction compared to the strain containing only the endogenous MEP. However, in M9 minimal media, the IUP pathway dramatically outperformed the over-expressed MEP pathway with an 11-fold increase in total carotenoids produced. The final construct split the large operon into two smaller operons, both with a T7 promoter. This resulted in slightly lower productivity (70.0 ± 8.1 µg/g·h vs. 53.5 ± 3.8 µg/g·h) compared to the original constructs but resulted in the highest proportion of astaxanthin in the extracted carotenoids (73.5 ± 0.2%).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valerie C. A. Ward
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
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Pathiraja D, Park B, Kim B, Stougaard P, Choi IG. Constructing Marine Bacterial Metabolic Chassis for Potential Biorefinery of Red Algal Biomass and Agaropectin Wastes. ACS Synth Biol 2023; 12:1782-1793. [PMID: 37265394 DOI: 10.1021/acssynbio.3c00063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Marine red algal biomass is a promising feedstock for sustainable production of value-added chemicals. However, the major constituents of red algal biomass, such as agar and carrageenan, are not easily assimilated by most industrial metabolic chassis developed to date. Synthetic biology offers a solution by utilizing nonmodel organisms as metabolic chassis for consolidated biological processes. In this study, the marine heterotrophic bacterium Pseudoalteromonas atlantica T6c was harnessed as a metabolic chassis to produce value-added chemicals from the affordable red algal galactans or agaropectin, a byproduct of industrial agarose production. To construct a heterologous gene expression device in P. atlantica T6c, promoters related to agar metabolism were screened from the differentially expressed genes using RNA-Seq analysis. The expression device was built and tested with selected promoters fused to a reporter gene and tuned by incorporation of a cognate repressor predicted from the agar-specific polysaccharide utilization locus. The feasibility of the marine bacterial metabolic chassis was examined by introducing the biosynthetic gene clusters of β-carotene and violacein. Our results demonstrate that the metabolic chassis platform enables direct conversion of low-cost red algal galactans or industrial waste agaropectin into valuable bioactive pigments without any pretreatment of biomass. The developed marine bacterial chassis could potentially be used in a biorefinery framework to produce value-added chemicals from marine algal galactans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duleepa Pathiraja
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Byeonghyeok Park
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Bogun Kim
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
| | - Peter Stougaard
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Aarhus University, DK-4000, Rockslide, Denmark
| | - In-Geol Choi
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Korea
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6
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He MX, Wang JL, Lin YY, Huang JC, Liu AZ, Chen F. Engineering an oilseed crop for hyper-accumulation of carotenoids in the seeds without using a traditional marker gene. PLANT CELL REPORTS 2022; 41:1751-1761. [PMID: 35748890 DOI: 10.1007/s00299-022-02889-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ketocarotenoids were synthesized successfully in Camelina sativa seeds by genetic modification without using a traditional selection marker genes. This method provided an interesting tool for metabolic engineering of seed crops. Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an important oil crop with many excellent agronomic traits. This model oil plant has been exploited to accumulate value-added bioproducts using genetic manipulation that depends on antibiotic- or herbicide-based selection marker genes (SMG), one of the major concerns for genetically modified foods. Here we reported metabolic engineering of C. sativa to synthesize red ketocarotenoids that could serve as a reporter to visualize transgenic events without using a traditional SMG. Overexpression of a non-native β-carotene ketolase gene coupled with three other carotenogenous genes (phytoene synthase, β-carotene hydroxylase, and Orange) in C. sativa resulted in production of red seeds that were visibly distinguishable from the normal yellow ones. Constitutive expression of the transgenes led to delayed plant development and seed germination. In contrast, seed-specific transformants demonstrated normal growth and seed germination despite the accumulation of up to 70-fold the level of carotenoids in the seeds compared to the controls, including significant amounts of astaxanthin and keto-lutein. As a result, the transgenic seed oils exhibited much higher antioxidant activity. No significant changes were found in the profiles of fatty acids between transgenic and control seeds. This study provided an interesting tool for metabolic engineering of seed crops without using a disputed SMG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Xia He
- Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Jie-Lin Wang
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Lin
- Department of Economic Plants and Biotechnology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Wild Plant Resources, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, Yunnan, China
| | - Jun-Chao Huang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
| | - Ai-Zhong Liu
- Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, 650224, Yunnan, China.
| | - Feng Chen
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Marine Microbiome Engineering, Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518000, China.
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7
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Wan S, Li Q, Yu H, Liu S, Kong L. A nuclear receptor heterodimer, CgPPAR2-CgRXR, acts as a regulator of carotenoid metabolism in Crassostrea gigas. Gene 2022; 827:146473. [PMID: 35390448 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Nuclear receptors (NRs) are mostly ligand-activated transcription factors in animals and play essential roles in metabolism and homeostasis. The NR heterodimer composed of PPAR/RXR (peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor/retinoid X receptor) is considered a key regulator of lipid metabolism in vertebrate. However, in molluscs, how this heterodimer is involved in carotenoid metabolism remains unclear. To elucidate how this heterodimer regulates carotenoid metabolism, we identified a PPAR gene in C. gigas, designated as CgPPAR2 (LOC105323212), and functionally characterized it using two-hybrid and reporter systems. CgPPAR2 is a direct orthologue of vertebrate PPARs and the second PPAR gene identified in C. gigas genome in addition to CgPPAR1 (LOC105317849). The results demonstrated that CgPPAR2 protein can form heterodimer with C. gigas RXR (CgRXR), and then regulate carotenoid metabolism by controlling carotenoid cleavage oxygenases with different carotenoid cleavage efficiencies. This regulation can be affected by retinoid ligands, i.e., carotenoid derivatives, validating a negative feedback regulation mechanism of carotenoid cleavage for retinoid production. Besides, organotins may disrupt this regulatory process through the mediation of CgPPAR2/CgRXR heterodimer. This is the first report of PPAR/RXR heterodimer regulating carotenoid metabolism in mollusks, contributing to a better understanding of the evolution and conservation of this nuclear receptor heterodimer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Wan
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Qi Li
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China; Laboratory for Marine Fisheries Science and Food Production Processes, Qingdao National Laboratory for Marine Science and Technology, Wenhai Road, Qingdao 266237, China.
| | - Hong Yu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shikai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lingfeng Kong
- Key Laboratory of Mariculture, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao 266003, China
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8
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Okada M, Rajaram K, Swift RP, Mixon A, Maschek JA, Prigge ST, Sigala PA. Critical role for isoprenoids in apicoplast biogenesis by malaria parasites. eLife 2022; 11:73208. [PMID: 35257658 PMCID: PMC8959605 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) is an essential metabolic output of the apicoplast organelle in Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites and is required for prenylation-dependent vesicular trafficking and other cellular processes. We have elucidated a critical and previously uncharacterized role for IPP in apicoplast biogenesis. Inhibiting IPP synthesis blocks apicoplast elongation and inheritance by daughter merozoites, and apicoplast biogenesis is rescued by exogenous IPP and polyprenols. Knockout of the only known isoprenoid-dependent apicoplast pathway, tRNA prenylation by MiaA, has no effect on blood-stage parasites and thus cannot explain apicoplast reliance on IPP. However, we have localized an annotated polyprenyl synthase (PPS) to the apicoplast. PPS knockdown is lethal to parasites, rescued by IPP and long- (C50) but not short-chain (≤C20) prenyl alcohols, and blocks apicoplast biogenesis, thus explaining apicoplast dependence on isoprenoid synthesis. We hypothesize that PPS synthesizes long-chain polyprenols critical for apicoplast membrane fluidity and biogenesis. This work critically expands the paradigm for isoprenoid utilization in malaria parasites and identifies a novel essential branch of apicoplast metabolism suitable for therapeutic targeting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Okada
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Krithika Rajaram
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Russell P Swift
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Amanda Mixon
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - John Alan Maschek
- Metabolomics Core, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, United States
| | - Sean T Prigge
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States
| | - Paul A Sigala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, United States
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9
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Zhu HZ, Jiang S, Wu JJ, Zhou XR, Liu PY, Huang FH, Wan X. Production of High Levels of 3 S,3' S-Astaxanthin in Yarrowia lipolytica via Iterative Metabolic Engineering. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2022; 70:2673-2683. [PMID: 35191700 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.1c08072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Astaxanthin is a highly value-added keto-carotenoid compound. The astaxanthin 3S,3'S-isomer is more desirable for food additives, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals due to health concerns about chemically synthesized counterparts with a mixture of three isomers. Biosynthesis of 3S,3'S-astaxanthin suffers from limited content and productivity. We engineered Yarrowia lipolytica to produce high levels of 3S,3'S-astaxanthin. We first assessed various β-carotene ketolases (CrtW) and β-carotene hydroxylases (CrtZ) from two algae and a plant. HpCrtW and HpCrtZ from Haematococcus pluvialis exhibited the strongest activity in converting β-carotene into astaxanthin in Y. lipolytica. We then fine-tuned the HpCrtW and HpCrtZ transcriptional expression by increasing the rounds of gene integration into the genome and applied a modular enzyme assembly of HpCrtW and HpCrtZ simultaneously. Next, we rescued leucine biosynthesis in the engineered Y. lipolytica, leading to a five-fold increase in biomass. The astaxanthin production achieved from these strategies was 3.3 g/L or 41.3 mg/g dry cell weight under fed-batch conditions, which is the highest level reported in microbial chassis to date. This study provides the potential for industrial production of 3S,3'S-astaxanthin, and this strategy empowers us to build a sustainable biorefinery platform for generating other value-added carotenoids in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang-Zhi Zhu
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Jun-Jie Wu
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | | | - Peng-Yang Liu
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Feng-Hong Huang
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, China
- Key Laboratory of Oilseeds Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Xia Wan
- Oil Crops Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, China
- Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, China
- Key Laboratory of Oilseeds Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, China
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10
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Gupta P, Rodriguez-Franco M, Bodanapu R, Sreelakshmi Y, Sharma R. Phytoene synthase 2 in tomato fruits remains functional and contributes to abscisic acid formation. PLANT SCIENCE : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PLANT BIOLOGY 2022; 316:111177. [PMID: 35151443 DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2022.111177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
In ripening tomato fruits, the leaf-specific carotenoids biosynthesis mediated by phytoene synthase 2 (PSY2) is replaced by a fruit-specific pathway by the expression of two chromoplast-specific genes: phytoene synthase 1 (PSY1) and lycopene-β-cyclase (CYCB). Though both PSY1 and PSY2 genes express in tomato fruits, the functional role of PSY2 is not known. To decipher whether PSY2-mediated carotenogenesis operates in ripening fruits, we blocked the in vivo activity of lycopene-β-cyclases in fruits of several carotenoids and ripening mutants by CPTA (2-(4-Chlorophenylthio)triethylamine hydrochloride), an inhibitor of lycopene-β-cyclases. The CPTA-treatment induced accumulation of lycopene in leaves, immature-green and ripening fruits. Even in psy1 mutants V7 and r that are deficient in fruit-specific carotenoid biosynthesis, CPTA triggered lycopene accumulation but lowered the abscisic acid level. Differing from fruit-specific carotenogenesis, CPTA-treated V7 and r mutant fruits accumulated lycopene but not phytoene and phytofluene. The lack of phytoene and phytofluene accumulation was reminiscent of PSY2-mediated leaf-like carotenogenesis, where phytoene and phytofluene accumulation is never seen. The lycopene accumulation was associated with the partial transformation of chloroplasts to chromoplasts bearing thread-like structures. Our study uncovers the operation of a parallel carotenogenesis pathway mediated by PSY2 that provides precursors for abscisic acid biosynthesis in ripening tomato fruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prateek Gupta
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - Marta Rodriguez-Franco
- Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, D-79104, Germany.
| | - Reddaiah Bodanapu
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India
| | - Yellamaraju Sreelakshmi
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
| | - Rameshwar Sharma
- Repository of Tomato Genomics Resources, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
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11
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Allen QM, Febres VJ, Rathinasabapathi B, Chaparro JX. Engineering a Plant-Derived Astaxanthin Synthetic Pathway Into Nicotiana benthamiana. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:831785. [PMID: 35116052 PMCID: PMC8804313 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.831785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids have been shown to be essential for human nutrition. Consumption of carotenoid-rich fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of many diseases. The ketocarotenoid astaxanthin has become a commercially valuable compound due to its powerful antioxidant properties compared to other carotenoids. It is naturally produced in certain algae, bacteria, and the flowers of some species of the genus Adonis, although it is produced in such small quantities in these organisms that it is costly to extract. Chemical synthesis of this compound has also shown limited success with a high proportion of esterified forms of astaxanthin being produced, which decreases antioxidant properties by the conversion of hydroxyl groups to esters. Previously, transgenic astaxanthin-producing plants have been created using a β-carotene ketolase enzyme of either bacterial or algal origin. However, a novel astaxanthin pathway exists in the flowering plants of the genus Adonis which has not been utilized in the same manner. The pathway involves two unique enzymes, β-ring-4-dehydrogenase and 4-hydroxy-β-ring-4-dehydrogenase, which add the necessary hydroxyl and ketone groups to the rings of β-carotene. In the present study, Nicotiana benthamiana plants were transformed with chimeric constructs coding for these two enzymes. The regenerated, transgenic plants accumulate astaxanthin and their growth (height and weight) was unaffected, when compared to non-transformed N. benthamiana and to plants transformed with the bacterial β-carotene ketolase. The accumulation of astaxanthin also improved seedling survivability under harsh UV light, mitigated reactive oxygen accumulation, and provided a phenotype (color) that allowed the efficient identification and recovery of transgenic plants with and without selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quinton M. Allen
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Vicente J. Febres
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Bala Rathinasabapathi
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
- Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology Program, Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - José X. Chaparro
- Horticultural Sciences Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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12
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Abstract
Carotenoids constitute an essential dietary component of animals and other non-carotenogenic species which use these pigments in both their modified and unmodified forms. Animals utilize uncleaved carotenoids to mitigate light damage and oxidative stress and to signal fitness and health. Carotenoids also serve as precursors of apocarotenoids including retinol, and its retinoid metabolites, which carry out essential functions in animals by forming the visual chromophore 11-cis-retinaldehyde. Retinoids, such as all-trans-retinoic acid, can also act as ligands of nuclear hormone receptors. The fact that enzymes and biochemical pathways responsible for the metabolism of carotenoids in animals bear resemblance to the ones in plants and other carotenogenic species suggests an evolutionary relationship. We will explore some of the modes of transmission of carotenoid genes from carotenogenic species to metazoans. This apparent relationship has been successfully exploited in the past to identify and characterize new carotenoid and retinoid modifying enzymes. We will review approaches used to identify putative animal carotenoid enzymes, and we will describe methods used to functionally validate and analyze the biochemistry of carotenoid modifying enzymes encoded by animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Moise
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada; Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Biology and Biomolecular Sciences Program, Laurentian University, Sudbury, ON, Canada.
| | - Sepalika Bandara
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Johannes von Lintig
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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13
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Wu S, Ma X, Zhou A, Valenzuela A, Zhou K, Li Y. Establishment of strigolactone-producing bacterium-yeast consortium. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabh4048. [PMID: 34533983 PMCID: PMC8448452 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abh4048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of phytohormones playing diverse roles in plant growth and development, yet the limited access to SLs is largely impeding SL-based foundational investigations and applications. Here, we developed Escherichia coli–Saccharomyces cerevisiae consortia to establish a microbial biosynthetic platform for the synthesis of various SLs, including carlactone, carlactonoic acid, 5-deoxystrigol (5DS; 6.65 ± 1.71 μg/liter), 4-deoxyorobanchol (3.46 ± 0.28 μg/liter), and orobanchol (OB; 19.36 ± 5.20 μg/liter). The SL-producing platform enabled us to conduct functional identification of CYP722Cs from various plants as either OB or 5DS synthase. It also allowed us to quantitatively compare known variants of plant SL biosynthetic enzymes in the microbial system. The titer of 5DS was further enhanced through pathway engineering to 47.3 μg/liter. This work provides a unique platform for investigating SL biosynthesis and evolution and lays the foundation for developing SL microbial production process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Wu
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Xiaoqiang Ma
- Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anqi Zhou
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Alex Valenzuela
- Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Kang Zhou
- Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision, Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yanran Li
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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14
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Liu X, Ma X, Wang H, Li S, Yang W, Nugroho RD, Luo L, Zhou X, Tang C, Fan Y, Zhao Q, Zhang J, Chen R. Metabolic engineering of astaxanthin-rich maize and its use in the production of biofortified eggs. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2021; 19:1812-1823. [PMID: 33780119 PMCID: PMC8428828 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Production of the high-value carotenoid astaxanthin, which is widely used in food and feed due to its strong antioxidant activity and colour, is less efficient in cereals than in model plants. Here, we report a new strategy for expressing β-carotene ketolase and hydroxylase genes from algae, yeasts and flowering plants in the whole seed using a seed-specific bidirectional promoter. Engineered maize events were backcrossed to inbred maize lines with yellow endosperm to generate progenies that accumulate astaxanthin from 47.76 to 111.82 mg/kg DW in seeds, and the maximum level is approximately sixfold higher than those in previous reports (16.2-16.8 mg/kg DW) in cereals. A feeding trial with laying hens indicated that they could take up astaxanthin from the maize and accumulate it in egg yolks (12.10-14.15 mg/kg) without affecting egg production and quality, as observed using astaxanthin from Haematococcus pluvialis. Storage stability evaluation analysis showed that the optimal conditions for long-term storage of astaxanthin-rich maize are at 4 °C in the dark. This study shows that co-expressing of functional genes driven by seed-specific bidirectional promoter could dramatically boost astaxanthin biosynthesis in every parts of kernel including embryo, aleurone layer and starch endosperm other than previous reports in the starch endosperm only. And the staple crop maize could serve as a cost-effective plant factory for reliably producing astaxanthin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Liu
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xuhui Ma
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal NutritionInstitute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Suzhen Li
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Wenzhu Yang
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Ramdhan Dwi Nugroho
- State Key Laboratory of Animal NutritionInstitute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Lili Luo
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Xiaojin Zhou
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Chaohua Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal NutritionInstitute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Yunliu Fan
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Qingyu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Animal NutritionInstitute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Junmin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Animal NutritionInstitute of Animal SciencesChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Rumei Chen
- Crop Functional Genome Research CenterBiotechnology Research InstituteChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijingChina
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Adonis amurensis Is a Promising Alternative to Haematococcus as a Resource for Natural Esterified (3 S,3' S)-Astaxanthin Production. PLANTS 2021; 10:plants10061059. [PMID: 34070556 PMCID: PMC8227782 DOI: 10.3390/plants10061059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Astaxanthin (AST) characteristics and pigment productivity of Adonis amurensis, one of the few AST-producing higher plants, have not yet been studied extensively. In this study, the geometrical and optical isomers of AST in different parts of the A. amurensis flower were determined in detail, followed by a separation of the all-trans AST using HPLC chromatography. AST extracted from the flower accounted for 1.31% of the dry weight (dw) and mainly existed in the di-esterified form (>86.5%). The highest concentration was found in the upper red part of the petal (3.31% dw). One optical isomer (3S, 3′S) of AST, with five geometrical isomers (all-trans, 9-cis, 13-cis, 15-cis, and di-cis) were observed in all parts of the flower. All-trans AST was the predominant geometrical isomer accounting for 72.5% of the total content of geometric isomers in total flower, followed by the 13-cis, and 9-cis isomers. The all-trans AST isomer was also isolated, and then purified by HPLC from the crude oily flower extract, with a 21.5% recovery yield. The cis-AST extracted from the combined androecium and gynoecium gives a very strong absorption in the UVA region due to a high level of cis, especially di-cis, isomers, suggesting a prospective use in the preparation of anti-ultraviolet agents. The production cost of AST from Adonis flowers can be as low as €388–393/kg. These observations together with other factors such as the low technology requirement for plant culturing and harvesting suggest Adonis has great potential as a resource for natural esterified (3S,3′S)-AST production when compared with Haematococcus culturing.
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16
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Astaxanthin for the Food Industry. Molecules 2021; 26:molecules26092666. [PMID: 34063189 PMCID: PMC8125449 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26092666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Xanthophyll astaxanthin, which is commonly used in aquaculture, is one of the most expensive and important industrial pigments. It is responsible for the pink and red color of salmonid meat and shrimp. Due to having the strongest anti-oxidative properties among carotenoids and other health benefits, natural astaxanthin is used in nutraceuticals and cosmetics, and in some countries, occasionally, to fortify foods and beverages. Its use in food technology is limited due to the unknown effects of long-term consumption of synthetic astaxanthin on human health as well as few sources and the high cost of natural astaxanthin. The article characterizes the structure, health-promoting properties, commercial sources and industrial use of astaxanthin. It presents the possibilities and limitations of the use of astaxanthin in food technology, considering its costs and food safety. It also presents the possibilities of stabilizing astaxanthin and improving its bioavailability by means of micro- and nanoencapsulation.
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17
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Wan X, Zhou XR, Moncalian G, Su L, Chen WC, Zhu HZ, Chen D, Gong YM, Huang FH, Deng QC. Reprogramming microorganisms for the biosynthesis of astaxanthin via metabolic engineering. Prog Lipid Res 2020; 81:101083. [PMID: 33373616 DOI: 10.1016/j.plipres.2020.101083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is an increasing demand for astaxanthin in food, feed, cosmetics and pharmaceutical applications because of its superior anti-oxidative and coloring properties. However, naturally produced astaxanthin is expensive, mainly due to low productivity and limited sources. Reprogramming of microorganisms for astaxanthin production via metabolic engineering is a promising strategy. We primarily focus on the application of synthetic biology, enzyme engineering and metabolic engineering in enhancing the synthesis and accumulation of astaxanthin in microorganisms in this review. We also discuss the biosynthetic pathways of astaxanthin within natural producers, and summarize the achievements and challenges in reprogramming microorganisms for enhancing astaxanthin production. This review illuminates recent biotechnological advances in microbial production of astaxanthin. Future perspectives on utilization of new technologies for boosting microbial astaxanthin production are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xia Wan
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Oil Crops and Lipids Process Technology National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, Wuhan 430062, PR China.
| | | | - Gabriel Moncalian
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Universidad de Cantabria and Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (IBBTEC), CSIC-Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Lin Su
- College of Food Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, PR China
| | - Wen-Chao Chen
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Oil Crops and Lipids Process Technology National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Hang-Zhi Zhu
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Dan Chen
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Yang-Min Gong
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Oil Crops and Lipids Process Technology National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, Wuhan 430062, PR China
| | - Feng-Hong Huang
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Oil Crops and Lipids Process Technology National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, Wuhan 430062, PR China.
| | - Qian-Chun Deng
- Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Wuhan 430062, PR China; Oil Crops and Lipids Process Technology National & Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, Wuhan 430062, PR China.
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18
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Novel Insights into the Biotechnological Production of Haematococcus pluvialis-Derived Astaxanthin: Advances and Key Challenges to Allow Its Industrial Use as Novel Food Ingredient. JOURNAL OF MARINE SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/jmse8100789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Astaxanthin shows many biological activities. It has acquired a high economic potential and its current market is dominated by its synthetic form. However, due to the increase of the health and environmental concerns from consumers, natural forms are now preferred for human consumption. Haematococcus pluvialis is artificially cultured at an industrial scale to produce astaxanthin used as a dietary supplement. However, due to the high cost of its cultivation and its relatively low biomass and pigment productivities, the astaxanthin extracted from this microalga remains expensive and this has probably the consequence of slowing down its economic development in the lower added-value market such as food ingredient. In this review, we first aim to provide an overview of the chemical and biochemical properties of astaxanthin, as well as of its natural sources. We discuss its bioavailability, metabolism, and biological activities. We present a state-of-the-art of the biology and physiology of H. pluvialis, and highlight novel insights into the biotechnological processes which allow optimizing the biomass and astaxanthin productivities. We are trying to identify some lines of research that would improve the industrial sustainability and economic viability of this bio-production and to broaden the commercial potential of astaxanthin produced from H. pluvialis.
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19
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Metabolic engineering of ketocarotenoids biosynthetic pathway in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii strain CC-4102. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10688. [PMID: 32612116 PMCID: PMC7329852 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67756-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, ketocarotenoid biosynthesis is limited to the diploid zygospore stage. In this study, we attempted to engineer the ketocarotenoid pathway into Chlamydomonas haploid vegetative green cells by overexpressing the key enzyme ß-carotene ketolase (CrBKT). We chose strain CC-4102 for the approach; competitive pathways, α-carotene biosynthesis and xanthophyll cycle are silenced in this strain. Driven by the strong constitutive HSP70/RBCS2 promoter CrBKT overexpression resulted in the production of canthaxanthin, the ketolation product from ß-carotene as well as a drastic reduction in the chlorophyll concentration. Intriguingly, these phenotypes could only be detected from lines transformed and grown heterotrophically in the dark. Once exposed to light, these transformants lost the aforementioned phenotypes as well as their antibiotic resistance. This phenomenon is in agreement with the fact that we were unable to recover any canthaxanthin-producing line among light-selected transformants.
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20
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Twomey E, Johnson JD, Castroviejo-Fisher S, Van Bocxlaer I. A ketocarotenoid-based colour polymorphism in the Sira poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis indicates novel gene interactions underlying aposematic signal variation. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:2004-2015. [PMID: 32402099 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The accumulation of red ketocarotenoids is an important component of coloration in many organisms, but the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. In some organisms, ketocarotenoids are sequestered from the diet and can accumulate when enzymes responsible for carotenoid breakdown are disrupted. In other organisms, ketocarotenoids are formed endogenously from dietary precursors via oxidation reactions carried out by carotenoid ketolase enzymes. Here, we study the genetic basis of carotenoid coloration in an amphibian. We demonstrate that a red/yellow polymorphism in the dendrobatid poison frog Ranitomeya sirensis is due to the presence/absence of ketocarotenoids. Using whole-transcriptome sequencing of skins and livers, we found that a transcript encoding a cytochrome P450 enzyme (CYP3A80) is expressed 3.4-fold higher in livers of red frogs versus yellow. As CYP3A enzymes are known carotenoid ketolases in other organisms, our results point to CYP3A80 as a strong candidate for a carotenoid ketolase in amphibians. Furthermore, in red frogs, the transcript encoding the carotenoid cleavage enzyme BCO2 is expressed at a low level or as a splice variant lacking key catalytic amino acids. This suggests that BCO2 function may be disrupted in red frogs, providing a mechanism whereby the accumulation of ketocarotenoids and their dietary precursors may be enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan Twomey
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| | - James D Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Santiago Castroviejo-Fisher
- Laboratorio de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontificia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ines Van Bocxlaer
- Amphibian Evolution Laboratory, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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21
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Kaito C, Yoshikai H, Wakamatsu A, Miyashita A, Matsumoto Y, Fujiyuki T, Kato M, Ogura Y, Hayashi T, Isogai T, Sekimizu K. Non-pathogenic Escherichia coli acquires virulence by mutating a growth-essential LPS transporter. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008469. [PMID: 32324807 PMCID: PMC7179839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular mechanisms that allow pathogenic bacteria to infect animals have been intensively studied. On the other hand, the molecular mechanisms by which bacteria acquire virulence functions are not fully understood. In the present study, we experimentally evaluated the evolution of a non-pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli in a silkworm infection model and obtained pathogenic mutant strains. As one cause of the high virulence properties of E. coli mutants, we identified amino acid substitutions in LptD (G580S) and LptE (T95I) constituting the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transporter, which translocates LPS from the inner to the outer membrane and is essential for E. coli growth. The growth of the LptD and LptE mutants obtained in this study was indistinguishable from that of the parent strain. The LptD and LptE mutants exhibited increased secretion of outer membrane vesicles containing LPS and resistance against various antibiotics, antimicrobial peptides, and host complement. In vivo cross-linking studies revealed that the conformation of the LptD-LptE complex was altered in the LptD and LptE mutants. Furthermore, several clinical isolates of E. coli carried amino acid substitutions of LptD and LptE that conferred resistance against antimicrobial substances. This study demonstrated an experimental evolution of bacterial virulence properties in an animal infection model and identified functional alterations of the growth-essential LPS transporter that led to high bacterial virulence by conferring resistance against antimicrobial substances. These findings suggest that non-pathogenic bacteria can gain virulence traits by changing the functions of essential genes, and provide new insight to bacterial evolution in a host environment. Pathogenic bacteria developed their virulence properties by changing the functions of various genes after the emergence of the host animals on earth. The types of gene function alterations that confer bacterial virulence properties, however, have remained unclear. We utilized a silkworm infection model to perform an experimental evolution of bacterial virulence activity. From a non-pathogenic strain of Escherichia coli, we obtained a mutant strain that exhibited 500-fold higher virulence than the original strain and identified mutations of the lipopolysaccharide (LPS) transporter, which translocates LPS onto the bacterial surface, as one cause of the high virulence. The mutations changed the structure of the LPS transporter, increased the secretion of outer membrane vesicles, and enabled bacterial survival in the presence of host antimicrobial substances. This mechanism to gain high virulence occurs naturally, as several E. coli clinical isolates carried mutations of the LPS transporter that confer resistance against antimicrobial substances. Our study unveiled a novel mechanism by which bacteria increase their virulence through modifying their gene function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chikara Kaito
- Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry, and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Kita-ku, Okayama, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Hirono Yoshikai
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Ai Wakamatsu
- Japan Biological Informatics Consortium (JBIC), Koto-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Atsushi Miyashita
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yasuhiko Matsumoto
- Department of Microbiology, Meiji Pharmaceutical University, Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Fujiyuki
- The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Masaru Kato
- Devision of Bioanalytical Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Showa University, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoshitoshi Ogura
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Hayashi
- Department of Bacteriology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Takao Isogai
- Translational Research Center, Fukushima Medical University, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Sekimizu
- Institute of Medical Mycology, Teikyo University, Hachioji, Tokyo, Japan
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22
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Deng YY, Cheng L, Wang Q, Ge ZH, Zheng H, Cao TJ, Lu QQ, Yang LE, Lu S. Functional Characterization of Lycopene Cyclases Illustrates the Metabolic Pathway toward Lutein in Red Algal Seaweeds. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:1354-1363. [PMID: 31933364 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b06918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are essential phytonutrients synthesized by all photosynthetic organisms. Acyclic lycopene is the first branching point for carotenoid biosynthesis. Lycopene β- and ε-cyclases (LCYB and LCYE, respectively) catalyze the cyclization of its open ends and direct the metabolic flux into different downstream branches. Carotenoids of the β,β-branch (e.g., β-carotene) are found in all photosynthetic organisms, but those of the β,ε-branch (e.g., lutein) are generally absent in cyanobacteria, heterokonts, and some red algae. Although both LCYBs and LCYEs have been characterized from land plants, there are only a few reports on LCYs from cyanobacteria and algae. Here, we cloned four LCY genes from Porphyra umbilicalis and Pyropia yezoensis (susabi-nori) of Bangiales, the most primitive red algal order that synthesizes lutein. Our functional characterization in both Escherichia coli and Arabidopsis thaliana demonstrated that each species has a pair of LCYB and LCYE. Similar to LCYs from higher plants, red algal LCYBs cyclize both ends of lycopene, and their LCYEs only cyclize a single end. The characterization of LCYEs from red algae resolved the first bifurcation step toward β-carotene and lutein biosynthesis. Our phylogenetic analysis suggests that LCYEs of the green lineage and the red algae originated separately during evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin-Yin Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
- Jiangsu Marine Fisheries Research Institute , Nantong 226007 , China
| | - Lu Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
| | - Qi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
| | - Zi-Han Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
| | - Hui Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
| | - Tian-Jun Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
| | - Qin-Qin Lu
- Jiangsu Marine Fisheries Research Institute , Nantong 226007 , China
| | - Li-En Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
- Jiangsu Marine Fisheries Research Institute , Nantong 226007 , China
| | - Shan Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences , Nanjing University , Nanjing 210023 , China
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Enfissi EM, Nogueira M, D'Ambrosio C, Stigliani AL, Giorio G, Misawa N, Fraser PD. The road to astaxanthin production in tomato fruit reveals plastid and metabolic adaptation resulting in an unintended high lycopene genotype with delayed over-ripening properties. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2019; 17:1501-1513. [PMID: 30623551 PMCID: PMC6662112 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Tomato fruit are an important nutritional component of the human diet and offer potential to act as a cell factory for speciality chemicals, which are often produced by chemical synthesis. In the present study our goal was to produce competitive levels of the high value ketocarotenoid, astaxanthin, in tomato fruit. The initial stage in this process was achieved by expressing the 4, 4' carotenoid oxygenase (crtW) and 3, 3' hydroxylase (crtZ) from marine bacteria in tomato under constitutive control. Characterization of this genotype showed a surprising low level production of ketocarotenoids in ripe fruit but over production of lycopene (~3.5 mg/g DW), accompanied by delayed ripening. In order to accumulate these non-endogenous carotenoids, metabolite induced plastid differentiation was evident as well as esterification. Metabolomic and pathway based transcription studies corroborated the delayed onset of ripening. The data also revealed the importance of determining pheno/chemotype inheritance, with ketocarotenoid producing progeny displaying loss of vigour in the homozygous state but stability and robustness in the hemizygous state. To iteratively build on these data and optimize ketocarotenoid production in this genotype, a lycopene β-cyclase was incorporated to avoid precursor limitations and a more efficient hydroxylase was introduced. These combinations resulted in the production of astaxanthin (and ketocarotenoid esters) in ripe fruit at ~3 mg/g DW. Based on previous studies, this level of product formation represents an economic competitive value in a Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) matrix that requires minimal downstream processing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marilise Nogueira
- School of Biological SciencesRoyal HollowayUniversity of LondonEghamSurreyUK
| | | | | | | | - Norihiko Misawa
- Res Inst Bioresources & BiotechnolIshikawa Prefectural UniversityNonoichiIshikawaJapan
| | - Paul D. Fraser
- School of Biological SciencesRoyal HollowayUniversity of LondonEghamSurreyUK
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Fidan O, Zhan J. Discovery and engineering of an endophytic Pseudomonas strain from Taxus chinensis for efficient production of zeaxanthin diglucoside. J Biol Eng 2019; 13:66. [PMID: 31388354 PMCID: PMC6676639 DOI: 10.1186/s13036-019-0196-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endophytic microorganisms are a rich source of bioactive natural products. They are considered as promising biofertilizers and biocontrol agents due to their growth-promoting interactions with the host plants and their bioactive secondary metabolites that can help manage plant pathogens. Identification of new endophytes may lead to the discovery of novel molecules or provide new strains for production of valuable compounds. RESULTS In this study, we isolated an endophytic bacterium from the leaves of Taxus chinensis, which was identified as Pseudomonas sp. 102515 based on the 16S rRNA gene sequence and physiological characteristics. Analysis of its secondary metabolites revealed that this endophytic strain produces a major product zeaxanthin diglucoside, a promising antioxidant natural product that belongs to the family of carotenoids. A carotenoid (Pscrt) biosynthetic gene cluster was amplified from this strain, and the functions of PsCrtI and PsCrtY in the biosynthesis of zeaxanthin diglucoside were characterized in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The entire Pscrt biosynthetic gene cluster was successfully reconstituted in E. coli BL21(DE3) and Pseudomonas putida KT2440. The production of zeaxanthin diglucoside in Pseudomonas sp. 102515 was improved through the optimization of fermentation conditions such as medium, cultivation temperature and culture time. The highest yield under the optimized conditions reached 206 mg/L. The engineered strain of P. putida KT2440 produced zeaxanthin diglucoside at 121 mg/L in SOC medium supplemented with 0.5% glycerol at 18 °C, while the yield of zeaxanthin diglucoside in E. coli BL21(DE3) was only 2 mg/L. To further enhance the production, we introduced an expression plasmid harboring the Pscrt biosynthetic gene cluster into Pseudomonas sp. 102515. The yield in this engineered strain reached 380 mg/L, 85% higher than the wild type. Through PCR, we also discovered the presence of a turnerbactin biosynthetic gene cluster in Pseudomonas sp. 102515. Because turnerbactin is involved in nitrogen fixation, this endophytic strain might have a role in promoting growth of the host plant. CONCLUSIONS We isolated and identified an endophytic strain of Pseudomonas from T. chinensis. A zeaxanthin diglucoside biosynthetic gene cluster was discovered and characterized in this bacterium. Through fermentation and genetic engineering, the engineered strain produced zeaxanthin diglucoside at 380 ± 12 mg/L, representing a promising strain for the production of this antioxidant natural product. Additionally, Pseudomonas sp. 102515 might also be utilized as a plant-promoting strain for agricultural applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ozkan Fidan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, 4105 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4105 USA
| | - Jixun Zhan
- Department of Biological Engineering, Utah State University, 4105 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-4105 USA
- TCM and Ethnomedicine Innovation & Development Laboratory, School of Pharmacy, Hunan University of Chinese Medicine, Changsha, 410208 Hunan China
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25
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Munro RA, de Vlugt J, Ward ME, Kim SY, Lee KA, Jung KH, Ladizhansky V, Brown LS. Biosynthetic production of fully carbon-13 labeled retinal in E. coli for structural and functional studies of rhodopsins. JOURNAL OF BIOMOLECULAR NMR 2019; 73:49-58. [PMID: 30719609 DOI: 10.1007/s10858-019-00225-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 01/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The isomerization of a covalently bound retinal is an integral part of both microbial and animal rhodopsin function. As such, detailed structure and conformational changes in the retinal binding pocket are of significant interest and are studied in various NMR, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy experiments, which commonly require isotopic labeling of retinal. Unfortunately, the de novo organic synthesis of an isotopically-labeled retinal is complex and often cost-prohibitive, especially for large scale expression required for solid-state NMR. We present the novel protocol for biosynthetic production of an isotopically labeled retinal ligand concurrently with an apoprotein in E. coli as a cost-effective alternative to the de novo organic synthesis. Previously, the biosynthesis of a retinal precursor, β-carotene, has been introduced into many different organisms. We extended this system to the prototrophic E. coli expression strain BL21 in conjunction with the inducible expression of a β-dioxygenase and proteo-opsin. To demonstrate the applicability of this system, we were able to assign several new carbon resonances for proteorhodopsin-bound retinal by using fully 13C-labeled glucose as the sole carbon source. Furthermore, we demonstrated that this biosynthetically produced retinal can be extracted from E. coli cells by applying a hydrophobic solvent layer to the growth medium and reconstituted into an externally produced opsin of any desired labeling pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Munro
- Departments of Physics, and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Jeffrey de Vlugt
- Departments of Physics, and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Meaghan E Ward
- Departments of Physics, and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - So Young Kim
- Deptartment of Life Science, Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Shinsu-Dong 1, Mapo-Gu, Seoul, 121-742, Republic of Korea
- Division of Biotechnology, College of Environmental & Bioresource Sciences, Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Keon Ah Lee
- Deptartment of Life Science, Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Shinsu-Dong 1, Mapo-Gu, Seoul, 121-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Kwang-Hwan Jung
- Deptartment of Life Science, Institute of Biological Interfaces, Sogang University, Shinsu-Dong 1, Mapo-Gu, Seoul, 121-742, Republic of Korea
| | - Vladimir Ladizhansky
- Departments of Physics, and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Leonid S Brown
- Departments of Physics, and Biophysics Interdepartmental Group, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, N1G 2W1, Canada.
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Fang C, Luo J, Wang S. The Diversity of Nutritional Metabolites: Origin, Dissection, and Application in Crop Breeding. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1028. [PMID: 31475024 PMCID: PMC6706459 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The chemical diversity of plants is very high, and plant-based foods provide almost all the nutrients necessary for human health, either directly or indirectly. With advancements in plant metabolomics studies, the concept of nutritional metabolites has been expanded and updated. Because the concentration of many nutrients is usually low in plant-based foods, especially those from crops, metabolome-assisted breeding techniques using molecular markers associated with the synthesis of nutritional metabolites have been developed and used to improve nutritional quality of crops. Here, we review the origins of the diversity of nutrient metabolites from a genomic perspective and the role of gene duplication and divergence. In addition, we systematically review recent advances in the metabolomic and genetic basis of metabolite production in major crops. With the development of genome sequencing and metabolic detection technologies, multi-omic integrative analysis of genomes, transcriptomes, and metabolomes has greatly facilitated the deciphering of the genetic basis of metabolic pathways and the diversity of nutrient metabolites. Finally, we summarize the application of nutrient diversity in crop breeding and discuss the future development of a viable alternative to metabolome-assisted breeding techniques that can be used to improve crop nutrient quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuanying Fang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Jie Luo
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement and National Center of Plant Gene Research (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Shouchuang Wang
- Hainan Key Laboratory for Sustainable Utilization of Tropical Bioresource, College of Tropical Crops, Hainan University, Haikou, China
- *Correspondence: Shouchuang Wang,
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27
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Wan H, Yu C, Han Y, Guo X, Luo L, Pan H, Zheng T, Wang J, Cheng T, Zhang Q. Determination of Flavonoids and Carotenoids and Their Contributions to Various Colors of Rose Cultivars ( Rosa spp.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:123. [PMID: 30809238 PMCID: PMC6379320 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Rose is one of the most valuable ornamental crops worldwide. In this study, the composition of hydrophilic and lipophilic pigments in petals of six rose cultivars at seven developing stages was investigated using high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Four anthocyanins, 20 flavonols, and 10 carotenoids were detected in petals of tested cultivars. Major individual anthocyanin, flavonol, and carotenoid were cyanidin/pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside, kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside, and (9Z)-violaxanthin, respectively. Significant differences were observed in pigments content in petals of different rose cultivars. The yellow petals of YI and GC exhibited no to very small amounts of anthocyanins, moderate amount of total flavonols, and highest content of total carotenoids. Similarly, pink petals of PF, WQ, and YX showed average concentration of total anthocyanins, highest concentration of total flavonols, and small amount of carotenoids. Further, orange petals of CH showed highest content of total anthocyanins, lowest content of total flavonols, and average content of total carotenoids. Correlation analysis demonstrated that there were many pigments influencing petal colors. Moreover, multiple linear regression indicated that pelargonidin 3,5-diglucoside, total anthocyanins and (9Z)-violaxanthin were the major factors. In addition, this study showed that orange cultivar CH, pink cultivar PF and yellow cultivar YI can have great potential as a natural source for the extraction of pelargonidin 3-O-glucoside, kaempferol 3-O-rhamnoside, and (9Z)-violaxanthin, respectively. These investigations would contribute toward understanding the mechanism on the development of flower colors and provide a theoretical basis for the breeding of rose with specific color.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihua Wan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Chao Yu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuelian Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Le Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Huitang Pan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tangchun Zheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tangren Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Qixiang Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Qixiang Zhang,
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28
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Zhu Q, Zeng D, Yu S, Cui C, Li J, Li H, Chen J, Zhang R, Zhao X, Chen L, Liu YG. From Golden Rice to aSTARice: Bioengineering Astaxanthin Biosynthesis in Rice Endosperm. MOLECULAR PLANT 2018; 11:1440-1448. [PMID: 30296601 DOI: 10.1016/j.molp.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2018] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids are important phytonutrients with antioxidant properties, and are widely used in foods and feedstuffs as supplements. Astaxanthin, a red-colored ketocarotenoid, has strong antioxidant activity and thus can benefit human health. However, astaxanthin is not produced in most higher plants. Here we report the bioengineering of astaxanthin biosynthesis in rice endosperm by introducing four synthetic genes, sZmPSY1, sPaCrtI, sCrBKT, and sHpBHY, which encode the enzymes phytoene synthase, phytoene desaturase, β-carotene ketolase, and β-carotene hydroxylase, respectively. Transgneic overexpression of two (sZmPSY1 and sPaCrtI), three (sZmPSY1, sPaCrtI and sCrBKT), and all these four genes driven by rice endosperm-specific promoters established the carotenoid/ketocarotenoid/astaxanthin biosynthetic pathways in the endosperm and thus resulted in various types of germplasm, from the yellow-grained β-carotene-enriched Golden Rice to orange-red-grained Canthaxanthin Rice and Astaxanthin Rice, respectively. Grains of Astaxanthin Rice were enriched with astaxanthin in the endosperm and had higher antioxidant activity. These results proved that introduction of a minimal set of four transgenes enables de novo biosynthesis of astaxanthin in the rice endosperm. This work provides a successful example for synthetic biology in plants and biofortification in crops; the biofortified rice products generated by this study could be consumed as health-promoting foods and processed to produce dietary supplements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinlong Zhu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Dongchang Zeng
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Suize Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Chaojun Cui
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jiamin Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Heying Li
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Junyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Runzhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xiucai Zhao
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Letian Chen
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Yao-Guang Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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29
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Loewen PC, Switala J, Wells JP, Huang F, Zara AT, Allingham JS, Loewen MC. Structure and function of a lignostilbene-α,β-dioxygenase orthologue from Pseudomonas brassicacearum. BMC BIOCHEMISTRY 2018; 19:8. [PMID: 30115012 PMCID: PMC6097328 DOI: 10.1186/s12858-018-0098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stilbene cleaving oxygenases (SCOs), also known as lignostilbene-α,β-dioxygenases (LSDs) mediate the oxidative cleavage of the olefinic double bonds of lignin-derived intermediate phenolic stilbenes, yielding small modified benzaldehyde compounds. SCOs represent one branch of the larger carotenoid cleavage oxygenases family. Here, we describe the structural and functional characterization of an SCO-like enzyme from the soil-born, bio-control agent Pseudomonas brassicacearum. METHODS In vitro and in vivo assays relying on visual inspection, spectrophotometric quantification, as well as liquid-chormatographic and mass spectrometric characterization were applied for functional evaluation of the enzyme. X-ray crystallographic analyses and in silico modeling were applied for structural investigations. RESULTS In vitro assays demonstrated preferential cleavage of resveratrol, while in vivo analyses detected putative cleavage of the straight chain carotenoid, lycopene. A high-resolution structure containing the seven-bladed β-propeller fold and conserved 4-His-Fe unit at the catalytic site, was obtained. Comparative structural alignments, as well as in silico modelling and docking, highlight potential molecular factors contributing to both the primary in vitro activity against resveratrol, as well as the putative subsidiary activities against carotenoids in vivo, for future validation. CONCLUSIONS The findings reported here provide validation of the SCO structure, and highlight enigmatic points with respect to the potential effect of the enzyme's molecular environment on substrate specificities for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter C Loewen
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Jacek Switala
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - James P Wells
- National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Fang Huang
- National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada
| | - Anthony T Zara
- Department of BioMedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - John S Allingham
- Department of BioMedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Michele C Loewen
- National Research Council of Canada, 100 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R6, Canada.
- Department of BioMedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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30
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Engineering of tomato for the sustainable production of ketocarotenoids and its evaluation in aquaculture feed. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:10876-10881. [PMID: 28973873 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1708349114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ketocarotenoids are high-value pigments used commercially across multiple industrial sectors as colorants and supplements. Chemical synthesis using petrochemical-derived precursors remains the production method of choice. Aquaculture is an example where ketocarotenoid supplementation of feed is necessary to achieve product viability. The biosynthesis of ketocarotenoids, such as canthaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, or astaxanthin in plants is rare. In the present study, complex engineering of the carotenoid pathway has been performed to produce high-value ketocarotenoids in tomato fruit (3.0 mg/g dry weight). The strategy adopted involved pathway extension beyond β-carotene through the expression of the β-carotene hydroxylase (CrtZ) and oxyxgenase (CrtW) from Brevundimonas sp. in tomato fruit, followed by β-carotene enhancement through the introgression of a lycopene β-cyclase (β-Cyc) allele from a Solanum galapagense background. Detailed biochemical analysis, carried out using chromatographic, UV/VIS, and MS approaches, identified the predominant carotenoid as fatty acid (C14:0 and C16:0) esters of phoenicoxanthin, present in the S stereoisomer configuration. Under a field-like environment with low resource input, scalability was shown with the potential to deliver 23 kg of ketocarotenoid/hectare. To illustrate the potential of this "generally recognized as safe" material with minimal, low-energy bioprocessing, two independent aquaculture trials were performed. The plant-based feeds developed were more efficient than the synthetic feed to color trout flesh (up to twofold increase in the retention of the main ketocarotenoids in the fish fillets). This achievement has the potential to create a new paradigm in the renewable production of economically competitive feed additives for the aquaculture industry and beyond.
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Lechno-Yossef S, Melnicki MR, Bao H, Montgomery BL, Kerfeld CA. Synthetic OCP heterodimers are photoactive and recapitulate the fusion of two primitive carotenoproteins in the evolution of cyanobacterial photoprotection. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2017; 91:646-656. [PMID: 28503830 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.13593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2017] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) governs photoprotection in the majority of cyanobacteria. It is structurally and functionally modular, comprised of a C-terminal regulatory domain (CTD), an N-terminal effector domain (NTD) and a ketocarotenoid; the chromophore spans the two domains in the ground state and translocates fully into the NTD upon illumination. Using both the canonical OCP1 from Fremyella diplosiphon and the presumably more primitive OCP2 paralog from the same organism, we show that an NTD-CTD heterodimer forms when the domains are expressed as separate polypeptides. The carotenoid is required for the heterodimeric association, assembling an orange complex which is stable in the dark. Both OCP1 and OCP2 heterodimers are photoactive, undergoing light-driven heterodimer dissociation, but differ in their ability to reassociate in darkness, setting the stage for bioengineering photoprotection in cyanobacteria as well as for developing new photoswitches for biotechnology. Additionally, we reveal that homodimeric CTD can bind carotenoid in the absence of NTD, and name this truncated variant the C-terminal domain-like carotenoid protein (CCP). This finding supports the hypothesis that the OCP evolved from an ancient fusion event between genes for two different carotenoid-binding proteins ancestral to the NTD and CTD. We suggest that the CCP and its homologs constitute a new family of carotenoproteins within the NTF2-like superfamily found across all kingdoms of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigal Lechno-Yossef
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Matthew R Melnicki
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Han Bao
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Beronda L Montgomery
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Cheryl A Kerfeld
- MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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Bai C, Berman J, Farre G, Capell T, Sandmann G, Christou P, Zhu C. Reconstruction of the astaxanthin biosynthesis pathway in rice endosperm reveals a metabolic bottleneck at the level of endogenous β-carotene hydroxylase activity. Transgenic Res 2016; 26:13-23. [DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9977-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Zhai S, Xia X, He Z. Carotenoids in Staple Cereals: Metabolism, Regulation, and Genetic Manipulation. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2016; 7:1197. [PMID: 27559339 PMCID: PMC4978713 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2016.01197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Carotenoids play a critical role in animal and human health. Animals and humans are unable to synthesize carotenoids de novo, and therefore rely upon diet as sources of these compounds. However, major staple cereals often contain only small amounts of carotenoids in their grains. Consequently, there is considerable interest in genetic manipulation of carotenoid content in cereal grain. In this review, we focus on carotenoid metabolism and regulation in non-green plant tissues, as well as genetic manipulation in staple cereals such as rice, maize, and wheat. Significant progress has been made in three aspects: (1) seven carotenogenes play vital roles in carotenoid regulation in non-green plant tissues, including 1-deoxyxylulose-5-phosphate synthase influencing isoprenoid precursor supply, phytoene synthase, β-cyclase, and ε-cyclase controlling biosynthesis, 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl 4-diphosphate reductase and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases responsible for degradation, and orange gene conditioning sequestration sink; (2) provitamin A-biofortified crops, such as rice and maize, were developed by either metabolic engineering or marker-assisted breeding; (3) quantitative trait loci for carotenoid content on chromosomes 3B, 7A, and 7B were consistently identified, eight carotenogenes including 23 loci were detected, and 10 gene-specific markers for carotenoid accumulation were developed and applied in wheat improvement. A comprehensive and deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism in crops will be beneficial in improving our precision in improving carotenoid contents. Genomic selection and gene editing are emerging as transformative technologies for provitamin A biofortification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengnan Zhai
- National Wheat Improvement Center, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Xianchun Xia
- National Wheat Improvement Center, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
| | - Zhonghu He
- National Wheat Improvement Center, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, Chinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesBeijing, China
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EauClaire SF, Zhang J, Rivera CG, Huang LL. Combinatorial metabolic pathway assembly in the yeast genome with RNA-guided Cas9. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2016; 43:1001-15. [PMID: 27138038 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-016-1776-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an important industrial platform for the production of grain and cellulosic ethanol, isobutanol, butanediol, isoprenoids, and other chemicals. The construction of a successful production strain usually involves multiple gene knockouts and chromosomal integration of expression cassettes to redirect the metabolic fluxes for the conversion of sugars and other feed stocks into the desired product. RNA-guided Cas9 based genome editing has been demonstrated in many prokaryotic and eukaryotic hosts including S. cerevisiae, in which it has been additionally exploited as a tool for metabolic engineering. To extend the utilization of RNA-guided Cas9 as a metabolic pathway building tool, we demonstrated the direct assembly and chromosomal integration of up to 17 overlapping DNA fragments encoding the beta-carotene biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, we generated a combinatorial strain library for the beta-carotene biosynthetic pathway, directly integrated into the yeast genome to create a diverse library of strains. This enabled the screening of combinatorial libraries in stable chromosomally integrated strains for rapid improvements of product titers. This combinatorial approach for pathway assembly will significantly accelerate the current speed of metabolic engineering for S. cerevisiae as an industrial platform, and increase the number of strains that can be simultaneously evaluated for enzyme screening, expression optimization and protein engineering to achieve the titer, rate and yield necessary for the commercialization of new industrial fermentation products.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jianzhong Zhang
- Industrial Biosciences, E. I. Du Pont Company, Wilmington, DE, USA
| | | | - Lixuan L Huang
- Industrial Biosciences, E. I. Du Pont Company, Wilmington, DE, USA.
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Mortimer CL, Misawa N, Ducreux L, Campbell R, Bramley PM, Taylor M, Fraser PD. Product stability and sequestration mechanisms in Solanum tuberosum engineered to biosynthesize high value ketocarotenoids. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2016; 14:140-152. [PMID: 25845905 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2014] [Revised: 02/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/22/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
To produce commercially valuable ketocarotenoids in Solanum tuberosum, the 4, 4' β-oxygenase (crtW) and 3, 3' β-hydroxylase (crtZ) genes from Brevundimonas spp. have been expressed in the plant host under constitutive transcriptional control. The CRTW and CRTZ enzymes are capable of modifying endogenous plant carotenoids to form a range of hydroxylated and ketolated derivatives. The host (cv. Désirée) produced significant levels of nonendogenous carotenoid products in all tissues, but at the apparent expense of the economically critical metabolite, starch. Carotenoid levels increased in both wild-type and transgenic tubers following cold storage; however, stability during heat processing varied between compounds. Subcellular fractionation of leaf tissues revealed the presence of ketocarotenoids in thylakoid membranes, but not predominantly in the photosynthetic complexes. A dramatic increase in the carotenoid content of plastoglobuli was determined. These findings were corroborated by microscopic analysis of chloroplasts. In tuber tissues, esterified carotenoids, representing 13% of the total pigment found in wild-type extracts, were sequestered in plastoglobuli. In the transgenic tubers, this proportion increased to 45%, with esterified nonendogenous carotenoids in place of endogenous compounds. Conversely, nonesterified carotenoids in both wild-type and transgenic tuber tissues were associated with amyloplast membranes and starch granules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara L Mortimer
- Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology, School of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
| | - Norihiko Misawa
- Research Institute for Bioresources and Biotechnology, Ishikawa Prefectural University, Nonoichi-machi, Ishikawa, Japan
| | - Laurence Ducreux
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK
| | - Raymond Campbell
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK
| | - Peter M Bramley
- Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology, School of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
| | - Mark Taylor
- Cell and Molecular Sciences, The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, UK
| | - Paul D Fraser
- Centre for Systems and Synthetic Biology, School of Biological Sciences Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, UK
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Pierce EC, LaFayette PR, Ortega MA, Joyce BL, Kopsell DA, Parrott WA. Ketocarotenoid Production in Soybean Seeds through Metabolic Engineering. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138196. [PMID: 26376481 PMCID: PMC4574205 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The pink or red ketocarotenoids, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin, are used as feed additives in the poultry and aquaculture industries as a source of egg yolk and flesh pigmentation, as farmed animals do not have access to the carotenoid sources of their wild counterparts. Because soybean is already an important component in animal feed, production of these carotenoids in soybean could be a cost-effective means of delivery. In order to characterize the ability of soybean seed to produce carotenoids, soybean cv. Jack was transformed with the crtB gene from Pantoea ananatis, which codes for phytoene synthase, an enzyme which catalyzes the first committed step in the carotenoid pathway. The crtB gene was engineered together in combinations with ketolase genes (crtW from Brevundimonas sp. strain SD212 and bkt1 from Haematococcus pluvialis) to produce ketocarotenoids; all genes were placed under the control of seed-specific promoters. HPLC results showed that canthaxanthin is present in the transgenic seeds at levels up to 52 μg/g dry weight. Transgenic seeds also accumulated other compounds in the carotenoid pathway, such as astaxanthin, lutein, β-carotene, phytoene, α-carotene, lycopene, and β-cryptoxanthin, whereas lutein was the only one of these detected in non-transgenic seeds. The accumulation of astaxanthin, which requires a β-carotene hydroxylase in addition to a β-carotene ketolase, in the transgenic seeds suggests that an endogenous soybean enzyme is able to work in combination with the ketolase transgene. Soybean seeds that accumulate ketocarotenoids could potentially be used in animal feed to reduce or eliminate the need for the costly addition of these compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Pierce
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Peter R. LaFayette
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - María A. Ortega
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Blake L. Joyce
- The School of Plant Sciences, BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Dean A. Kopsell
- Plant Sciences Department, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Wayne A. Parrott
- Center for Applied Genetic Technologies and the Institute of Plant Breeding, Genetics, and Genomics, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, United States of America
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn A Wessinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA
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38
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Salim Al-Babili
- BESE Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
| | - Eleanore T. Wurtzel
- The Graduate School and University Center, The City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, Bronx, New York, USA
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Krupnik T, Kotabová E, van Bezouwen LS, Mazur R, Garstka M, Nixon PJ, Barber J, Kaňa R, Boekema EJ, Kargul J. A reaction center-dependent photoprotection mechanism in a highly robust photosystem II from an extremophilic red alga, Cyanidioschyzon merolae. J Biol Chem 2013; 288:23529-42. [PMID: 23775073 DOI: 10.1074/jbc.m113.484659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of the rhodophytan order Cyanidiales are unique among phototrophs in their ability to live in extremely low pH levels and moderately high temperatures. The photosynthetic apparatus of the red alga Cyanidioschyzon merolae represents an intermediate type between cyanobacteria and higher plants, suggesting that this alga may provide the evolutionary link between prokaryotic and eukaryotic phototrophs. Although we now have a detailed structural model of photosystem II (PSII) from cyanobacteria at an atomic resolution, no corresponding structure of the eukaryotic PSII complex has been published to date. Here we report the isolation and characterization of a highly active and robust dimeric PSII complex from C. merolae. We show that this complex is highly stable across a range of extreme light, temperature, and pH conditions. By measuring fluorescence quenching properties of the isolated C. merolae PSII complex, we provide the first direct evidence of pH-dependent non-photochemical quenching in the red algal PSII reaction center. This type of quenching, together with high zeaxanthin content, appears to underlie photoprotection mechanisms that are efficiently employed by this robust natural water-splitting complex under excess irradiance. In order to provide structural details of this eukaryotic form of PSII, we have employed electron microscopy and single particle analyses to obtain a 17 Å map of the C. merolae PSII dimer in which we locate the position of the protein mass corresponding to the additional extrinsic protein stabilizing the oxygen-evolving complex, PsbQ'. We conclude that this lumenal subunit is present in the vicinity of the CP43 protein, close to the membrane plane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Krupnik
- Department of Plant Molecular Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
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40
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Gharibzahedi SMT, Razavi SH, Mousavi SM. Microbial canthaxanthin: Perspectives on biochemistry and biotechnological production. Eng Life Sci 2013. [DOI: 10.1002/elsc.201200153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Seyed Mohammad Taghi Gharibzahedi
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (BPEL); Department of Food Science, Engineering and Technology; Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran; Karaj Iran
| | - Seyed Hadi Razavi
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (BPEL); Department of Food Science, Engineering and Technology; Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran; Karaj Iran
| | - Seyed Mohammad Mousavi
- Bioprocess Engineering Laboratory (BPEL); Department of Food Science, Engineering and Technology; Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, University of Tehran; Karaj Iran
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Abstract
Presented is a historical perspective of one scientist's journey from war-torn Europe to the opportunities presented by a flexible US educational system. It celebrates the opening of the science establishment that began in the 1950s and its fostering of basic research, and recognizes individuals who were instrumental in guiding the author's education as well as those with whom she later participated in collaborative algal plant research. The initial discovery and later elucidation of phycobilisome structure are elaborated, including the structural connection with photosystem II. Furthermore, she summarizes some of her laboratory's results on carotenoids and its exploration of the isoprenoid pathway in cyanobacteria. Finally, she comments on the gender gap and how her generation benefited when opportunities for women scientists were enlarged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Gantt
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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42
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Veigas JM, Divya P, Neelwarne B. Identification of previously unreported pigments among carotenoids and anthocyanins in floral petals of Delonix regia (Hook.) Raf. Food Res Int 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2012.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Ruiz-Sola MÁ, Rodríguez-Concepción M. Carotenoid biosynthesis in Arabidopsis: a colorful pathway. THE ARABIDOPSIS BOOK 2012; 10:e0158. [PMID: 22582030 PMCID: PMC3350171 DOI: 10.1199/tab.0158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 311] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant carotenoids are a family of pigments that participate in light harvesting and are essential for photoprotection against excess light. Furthermore, they act as precursors for the production of apocarotenoid hormones such as abscisic acid and strigolactones. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge on the genes and enzymes of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway (which is now almost completely elucidated) and on the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis at both transcriptional and post-transcriptional levels. We also discuss the relevance of Arabidopsis as a model system for the study of carotenogenesis and how metabolic engineering approaches in this plant have taught important lessons for carotenoid biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Águila Ruiz-Sola
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Rodríguez-Concepción
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Centre for Research in Agricultural Genomics (CRAG) CSIC-IRTA-UAB-UB, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
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Pointer MA, Prager M, Andersson S, Mundy NI. A novel method for screening a vertebrate transcriptome for genes involved in carotenoid binding and metabolism. Mol Ecol Resour 2011; 12:149-59. [PMID: 21951614 DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-0998.2011.03069.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Carotenoid-based colour signals are widespread in the animal kingdom and common textbook examples of sexually selected traits. Carotenoid pigments must be obtained through the diet as all animals lack the enzymatic machinery necessary to synthesize them from scratch. Once ingested, carotenoids are metabolized, stored, transported and deposited, and some or all of these processes may be limiting for signal production and thus subjected to social or sexual selection on phenotypic coloration. Very little is known about which genes and physiological pathways are involved in carotenoid pigmentation which is unfortunate, as genetic information would allow us to investigate the biochemical consequences of sexual selection. In this study, we present a transcriptome-screening technique and apply it to a carotenoid-signalling bird species, the southern red bishop Euplectes orix, to uncover the gene(s) responsible for the conversion of dietary β-carotene (orange) to canthaxanthin (bright red). The transcriptome, extracted from the liver of a male entering his breeding moult, is expressed within bacterial cells genetically modified to synthesize beta-carotene. Effects of expressed E. orix proteins on the structure or amount of β-carotene are initially detected by eye (based on colour change) and subsequently confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Here, we demonstrate the validity of the technique and provide a list of candidate genes involved in the carotenoid pigmentation pathway. We believe that this method could be applied to other species and tissues and that this may help researchers uncover the genetic basis of carotenoid coloration in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A Pointer
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Downing St, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK.
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45
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He Q, Shen Y, Wang M, Huang M, Yang R, Zhu S, Wang L, Xu Y, Wu R. Natural variation in petal color in Lycoris longituba revealed by anthocyanin components. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22098. [PMID: 21829604 PMCID: PMC3150325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2010] [Accepted: 06/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lycoris longituba is one of the species belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. Despite its limited distribution, endemic to central eastern China, this species displays an exceptionally wide diversity of flower colors from purple, red, orange, to yellow, in nature. We study the natural variation of floral color in L. longituba by testing the components of water-soluble vacuolar pigments--anthocyanins--in its petals using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with photodiode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Four anthocyanins were identified, cyanidin-3-sophoroside (Cy3So), cyanidin-3-xylosylglucoside (Cy3XyGlc), cyanidin-3-sambubioside (Cy3Sa), and pelargonidin-3-xylosylglucoside (Pg3XyGlc), which occur at various amounts in L. longituba petals of different colors. A multivariate analysis was used to explore the relationship between pigments and flower color. Anthocyanins have been thought to play a major role in acting as a UV screen that protects the plant's DNA from sunlight damage and attracting insects for the purpose of pollination. Thus, knowledge about the content and type of anthocyanins determining the petal coloration of Lycoris longituba will help to study the adaptive evolution of flowers and provide useful information for the ornamental breeding of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuling He
- College of Forest Resources and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Ye Shen
- College of Forest Resources and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Mingxiu Wang
- College of Forest Resources and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Minren Huang
- College of Forest Resources and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ruizhen Yang
- Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuijin Zhu
- Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Liangsheng Wang
- Beijing Botanical Garden, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanjun Xu
- Department of Applied Chemistry, China Agricultural University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongling Wu
- Center for Computational Biology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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46
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Cunningham FX, Gantt E. Elucidation of the pathway to astaxanthin in the flowers of Adonis aestivalis. THE PLANT CELL 2011; 23:3055-69. [PMID: 21862704 PMCID: PMC3180810 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.111.086827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2011] [Revised: 07/18/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
A few species in the genus Adonis are the only land plants known to produce the valuable red ketocarotenoid astaxanthin in abundance. Here, we ascertain the pathway that leads from the β-rings of β-carotene, a carotenoid ubiquitous in plants, to the 3-hydroxy-4-keto-β-rings of astaxanthin (3,3'-dihydroxy-β,β-carotene-4,4'-dione) in the blood-red flowers of Adonis aestivalis, an ornamental and medicinal plant commonly known as summer pheasant's eye. Two gene products were found to catalyze three distinct reactions, with the first and third reactions of the pathway catalyzed by the same enzyme. The pathway commences with the activation of the number 4 carbon of a β-ring in a reaction catalyzed by a carotenoid β-ring 4-dehydrogenase (CBFD), continues with the further dehydrogenation of this carbon to yield a carbonyl in a reaction catalyzed by a carotenoid 4-hydroxy-β-ring 4-dehydrogenase, and concludes with the addition of an hydroxyl group at the number 3 carbon in a reaction catalyzed by the erstwhile CBFD enzyme. The A. aestivalis pathway is both portable and robust, functioning efficiently in a simple bacterial host. Our elucidation of the pathway to astaxanthin in A. aestivalis provides enabling technology for development of a biological production process and reveals the evolutionary origin of this unusual plant pathway, one unrelated to and distinctly different from those used by bacteria, green algae, and fungi to synthesize astaxanthin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis X Cunningham
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742, USA.
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47
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Maoka T, Etoh T, Kishimoto S, Sakata S. Carotenoids and their fatty acid esters in the petals of Adonis aestivalis. J Oleo Sci 2011; 60:47-52. [PMID: 21263199 DOI: 10.5650/jos.60.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Carotenoids and their fatty acid esters were investigated in the petals of Adonis aestivalis by UV-VIS, (1)H-NMR, FAB-MS, and CD spectrometry. (3S,3'S)-astaxanthin (diester: 72.2%, monoester: 13.8%, free: 1.4%) and (3S)-adonirubin (monoester: 13.8%, free: 0.3%) were identified as the major components. The fatty acids esterified with astaxanthin and adonirubin were assigned as C18:0, C18:1, C16:0, C16:1, C14:0, C12:0, and C10:0 from the FAB-MS spectral data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Maoka
- Research Institute for Production Development, Kyoto, Japan.
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48
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Cordero BF, Couso I, León R, Rodríguez H, Vargas MÁ. Enhancement of carotenoids biosynthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii by nuclear transformation using a phytoene synthase gene isolated from Chlorella zofingiensis. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2011; 91:341-51. [PMID: 21519934 PMCID: PMC3125507 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-011-3262-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2010] [Revised: 03/15/2011] [Accepted: 04/05/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The isolation and characterization of the phytoene synthase gene from the green microalga Chlorella zofingiensis (CzPSY), involved in the first step of the carotenoids biosynthetic pathway, have been performed. CzPSY gene encodes a polypeptide of 420 amino acids. A single copy of CzPSY has been found in C. zofingiensis by Southern blot analysis. Heterologous genetic complementation in Escherichia coli showed the ability of the predicted protein to catalyze the condensation of two molecules of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) to form phytoene. Phylogenetic analysis has shown that the deduced protein forms a cluster with the rest of the phytoene synthases (PSY) of the chlorophycean microalgae studied, being very closely related to PSY of plants. This new isolated gene has been adequately inserted in a vector and expressed in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The overexpression of CzPSY in C. reinhardtii, by nuclear transformation, has led to an increase in the corresponding CzPSY transcript level as well as in the content of the carotenoids violaxanthin and lutein which were 2.0- and 2.2-fold higher than in untransformed cells. This is an example of manipulation of the carotenogenic pathway in eukaryotic microalgae, which can open up the possibility of enhancing the productivity of commercial carotenoids by molecular engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baldo F. Cordero
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, University of Sevilla and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Américo Vespucio no 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Couso
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, University of Sevilla and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Américo Vespucio no 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rosa León
- Departamento de Química y Ciencia de Materiales, Facultad de Ciencias Experimentales, University of Huelva, Avda. Fuerzas Armadas s/n, 21071 Huelva, Spain
| | - Herminia Rodríguez
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, University of Sevilla and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Américo Vespucio no 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - M. Ángeles Vargas
- Instituto de Bioquímica Vegetal y Fotosíntesis, Centro de Investigaciones Científicas Isla de la Cartuja, University of Sevilla and Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Américo Vespucio no 49, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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49
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Zhong YJ, Huang JC, Liu J, Li Y, Jiang Y, Xu ZF, Sandmann G, Chen F. Functional characterization of various algal carotenoid ketolases reveals that ketolating zeaxanthin efficiently is essential for high production of astaxanthin in transgenic Arabidopsis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2011; 62:3659-69. [PMID: 21398427 PMCID: PMC3130182 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/err070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Extending the carotenoid pathway to astaxanthin in plants is of scientific and industrial interest. However, expression of a microbial β-carotene ketolase (BKT) that catalyses the formation of ketocarotenoids in transgenic plants typically results in low levels of astaxanthin. The low efficiency of BKTs in ketolating zeaxanthin to astaxanthin is proposed to be the major limitation for astaxanthin accumulation in engineered plants. To verify this hypothesis, several algal BKTs were functionally characterized using an Escherichia coli system and three BKTs were identified, with high (up to 85%), moderate (∼38%), and low (∼1%) conversion rate from zeaxanthin to astaxanthin from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CrBKT), Chlorella zofingiensis (CzBKT), and Haematococcus pluvialis (HpBKT3), respectively. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana expressing the CrBKT developed orange leaves which accumulated astaxanthin up to 2 mg g(-1) dry weight with a 1.8-fold increase in total carotenoids. In contrast, the expression of CzBKT resulted in much lower astaxanthin content (0.24 mg g(-1) dry weight), whereas HpBKT3 was unable to mediate synthesis of astaxanthin in A. thaliana. The none-native astaxanthin was found mostly in a free form integrated into the light-harvesting complexes of photosystem II in young leaves but in esterified forms in senescent leaves. The alteration of carotenoids did not affect chlorophyll content, plant growth, or development significantly. The astaxanthin-producing plants were more tolerant to high light as shown by reduced lipid peroxidation. This study advances a decisive step towards the utilization of plants for the production of high-value astaxanthin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Juan Zhong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jun-Chao Huang
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ,
| | - Jin Liu
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yin Li
- School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, 510275 Guangzhou, China
| | - Yue Jiang
- Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zeng-Fu Xu
- Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 88 Xuefu Road, Kunming 650223, China
| | - Gerhard Sandmann
- Biosynthesis Group, Molecular Biosciences, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Feng Chen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
- Institute for Food and Bioresource Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China
- To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: ,
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50
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Walter MH, Strack D. Carotenoids and their cleavage products: biosynthesis and functions. Nat Prod Rep 2011; 28:663-92. [PMID: 21321752 DOI: 10.1039/c0np00036a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 309] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
This review focuses on plant carotenoids, but it also includes progress made on microbial and animal carotenoid metabolism to better understand the functions and the evolution of these structurally diverse compounds with a common backbone. Plants have evolved isogenes for specific key steps of carotenoid biosynthesis with differential expression profiles, whose characteristic features will be compared. Perhaps the most exciting progress has been made in studies of carotenoid cleavage products (apocarotenoids) with an ever-expanding variety of novel functions being discovered. This review therefore covers structural, molecular genetic and functional aspects of carotenoids and apocarotenoids alike. Apocarotenoids are specifically tailored from carotenoids by a family of oxidative cleavage enzymes, but whether there are contributions to their generation from chemical oxidation, photooxidation or other mechanisms is largely unknown. Control of carotenoid homeostasis is discussed in the context of biosynthetic and degradative reactions but also in the context of subcellular environments for deposition and sequestration within and outside of plastids. Other aspects of carotenoid research, including metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches, will only be covered briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael H Walter
- Leibniz-Institut für Pflanzenbiochemie, Abteilung Sekundärstoffwechsel, Weinberg 3, 06120, Halle, Saale, Germany.
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