Early and late trisporoids differentially regulate β-carotene production and gene transcript Levels in the mucoralean fungi Blakeslea trispora and Mucor mucedo.

ABSTRACT: The multistep cleavage of carotenoids in Mucorales during the sexual phase results in a cocktail of trisporic acid (C18) sex pheromones. We hypothesized that the C18 trisporoid intermediates have a specific regulatory function for sex pheromone production and carotenogenesis that varies with genus/species and vegetative and sexual phases of their life cycles. Real-time quantitative PCR kinetics determined for Blakeslea trispora displayed a very high transcript turnover in the gene for carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase, tsp3, during the sexual phase. An in vivo enzyme assay and chromatographic analysis led to the identification of β-apo-12'-carotenal as the first apocarotenoid involved in trisporic acid biosynthesis in B. trispora. Supplementation of C18 trisporoids, namely D'orenone, methyl

SUBMITTER: Sahadevan Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3837771 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature