| Title: | A gene for carotene cleavage required for pheromone biosynthesis and carotene regulation in the fungus Phycomyces blakesleeanus |
| Author(s): | Tagua VG; Medina HR; Martin-Dominguez R; Eslava AP; Corrochano LM; Cerda-Olmedo E; Idnurm A; |
| Address: | "Departamento de Genetica, Universidad de Sevilla, 41080 Sevilla, Spain" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.fgb.2012.03.002 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1096-0937 (Electronic) 1087-1845 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Mating and sexual development in fungi are controlled by molecular mechanisms that are specific for each fungal group. Mating in Phycomyces blakesleeanus and other Mucorales requires pheromones derived from beta-carotene. Phycomyces mutants in gene carS accumulate large amounts of beta-carotene but do not enter the sexual process. We show that carS encodes a beta-carotene-cleaving oxygenase that catalyzes the first step in the biosynthesis of a variety of apocarotenoids, including those that act as pheromones. Therefore carS mutants cannot stimulate their sexual partners, although they respond to them. CarS catalyzes the biosynthesis of a beta-ring-containing apocarotenoid that inhibits the activity of the carotenogenic enzyme complex in vegetative cells and provides a feedback regulation for the beta-carotene pathway. The carS gene product is a keystone in carotenogenesis and in sexual reproduction" |
| Keywords: | "Amino Acid Sequence Carotenoids/*metabolism DNA, Fungal/chemistry/genetics *Metabolic Networks and Pathways Molecular Sequence Data Oxygenases/genetics/metabolism Pheromones/*biosynthesis Phycomyces/*genetics/*metabolism Sequence Analysis, DNA Sequence Ho;" |
| Notes: | "MedlineTagua, Victor G Medina, Humberto R Martin-Dominguez, Raul Eslava, Arturo P Corrochano, Luis M Cerda-Olmedo, Enrique Idnurm, Alexander eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. 2012/03/27 Fungal Genet Biol. 2012 May; 49(5):398-404. doi: 10.1016/j.fgb.2012.03.002. Epub 2012 Mar 21" |
