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A carotenoid synthesis gene cluster from Algoriphagus sp. KK10202C with a novel fusion-type lycopene β-cyclase gene

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Abstract

A carotenoid synthesis gene cluster was isolated from a marine bacterium Algoriphagus sp. strain KK10202C that synthesized flexixanthin. Seven genes were transcribed in the same direction, among which five of them were involved in carotenoid synthesis. This cluster had a unique gene organization, with an isoprenoid gene, ispH (previously named lytB), being present among the carotenoid synthesis genes. The lycopene β-cyclase encoded by the crtY cd gene appeared to be a fusion of bacterial heterodimeric lycopene cyclase CrtYc and CrtYd. This was the first time that a fusion-type of lycopene β-cyclase was reported in eubacteria. Heterologous expression of the Algoriphagus crtY cd gene in lycopene-accumulating Escherichia coli produced bicyclic β-carotene. A biosynthesis pathway for monocyclic flexixanthin was proposed in Algoriphagus sp. strain KK10202C, though several of the carotenoid synthesis genes not linked with the cluster have not yet been cloned.

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Acknowledgments

We thank DuPont Macromolecule Analysis Lab for DNA sequencing.

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Correspondence to Qiong Cheng.

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Communicated by G. Klug

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Tao, L., Yao, H., Kasai, H. et al. A carotenoid synthesis gene cluster from Algoriphagus sp. KK10202C with a novel fusion-type lycopene β-cyclase gene. Mol Genet Genomics 276, 79–86 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-006-0121-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00438-006-0121-0

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