Conserved enzymes mediate the early reactions of carotenoid biosynthesis in nonphotosynthetic and photosynthetic prokaryotes
- Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States) Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)
- 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), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (United States) Vol. 87:24; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACID SEQUENCE
BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION
BIOLOGICAL PATHWAYS
BIOSYNTHESIS
CAROTENOIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DNA
DNA SEQUENCING
GENES
HYDROCARBONS
MOLECULAR STRUCTURE
NUCLEIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PHOTOCHEMICAL REACTIONS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
PHOTOSYNTHETIC BACTERIA
PIGMENTS
RECOMBINANT DNA
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SYNTHESIS
TERPENES