Cloning of the cytochrome p450 reductase (crtR) gene and its involvement in the astaxanthin biosynthesis of Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous synthesizes astaxanthin, a carotenoid with high commercial interest. The proposed biosynthetic route in this organism is isopentenyl-pyrophosphate (IPP) --> geranyleranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP) --> phytoene --> lycopene --> beta-carotene --> astaxanthin. Recently, it has been published that the conversion of beta-carotene into astaxanthin requires only one enzyme, astaxanthin synthase or CrtS, encoded by crtS gene. This enzyme belongs to the cytochrome P450 protein family.

Results

In this work, a crtR gene was isolated from X. dendrorhous yeast, which encodes a cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR) that provides CrtS with the necessary electrons for substrate oxygenation. We determined the structural organization of the crtR gene an

SUBMITTER: Alcaino J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2575211 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature