Conserved enzymes mediate the early reactions of carotenoid biosynthesis in nonphotosynthetic and photosynthetic prokaryotes

Journal Article · Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.24.9975· OSTI ID:6145198

Armstrong, G A; Hearst, J E ^[1]; Alberti, M ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States) Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
2. Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

Carotenoids comprise one of the most widespread classes of pigments found in nature. The first reactions of C{sub 40} carotenoid biosynthesis proceed through common intermediates in all organisms, suggesting the evolutionary conservation of early enzymes from this pathway. The authors report here the nucleotide sequence of three genes from the carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster of Erwinia herbicola, a nonphotosynthetic epiphytic bacterium, which encode homologs of the CrtB, CrtE, and CrtI proteins of Rhodobacter capsulatus, a purple nonsulfur photosynthetic bacterium. CrtB (prephytoene pyrophosphate synthase), CrtE (phytoene synthase), and CrtI (phytoene dehydrogenase) are required for the first three reactions specific to the carotenoid branch of general isoprenoid metabolism. All three dehydrogenases possess a hydrophobic N-terminal domain containing a putative ADP-binding {beta}{alpha}{beta} fold characteristic of enzymes known to bind FAD or NAD(P) cofactors. These data indicate the structural conservation of early carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes in evolutionary diverse organisms.

• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• OSTI ID: 6145198
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States), Vol. 87:24; ISSN 0027-8424
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CAROTENOIDS
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
GENES
DNA SEQUENCING
PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
BIOSYNTHESIS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
RECOMBINANT DNA
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DNA
HYDROCARBONS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PIGMENTS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS
TERPENES
550200* - Biochemistry