Transcriptomic Analysis Reveals the Potential Mechanisms for Improving Carotenoid Production in Z11 under Light Stress.

Carotenoids, as a type of tetraterpene compound, have been widely used in food, medical, and health areas owing to their antioxidant, immune enhancement, and disease risk reduction effects. is a promising oleaginous red yeast that can industrially synthesize carotenoids. In this study, the effects of different light exposure times and intervals on carotenoid production by Z11 were first investigated. Results showed that a higher carotenoid content (1.29 mg/g) can be achieved when Z11 was exposed to light for 12 h per day, which was increased by 1.98 times compared with that of dark cultivation. Transcriptome profiling revealed that light stress could effectively promote the gene expression levels of and in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway and in the DNA photolysis pathway of . This work will provide a molecular foundation to further improve the production efficiency of carotenoids by genetic engineering.