Pasamontes L, Hug D, Tessier M, Hohmann H P, Schierle J, van Loon A P
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Vitamins and Fine Chemicals Division, Basel, Switzerland.
Gene. 1997 Jan 31;185(1):35-41. doi: 10.1016/s0378-1119(96)00624-5.
The Gram-negative bacterium Flavobacterium sp. strain R1534 is a natural producer of zeaxanthin. A 14 kb genomic DNA fragment of this organism has been cloned and a 5.1 kb piece containing the carotenoid biosynthesis genes sequenced. The carotenoid biosynthesis cluster consists of five genes arranged in at least two operons. The five genes are necessary and sufficient for the synthesis of zeaxanthin. The encoded proteins have significant homology to the crtE, crtB, crtY, crtI and crtZ gene products of other carotenogenic organisms. Biochemical assignment of the individual gene products was done by HPLC analysis of the carotenoid accumulation in Escherichia coli host strains transformed with plasmids carrying deletions of the Flavobacterium sp. strain R1534 carotenoid biosynthesis cluster.
革兰氏阴性菌黄杆菌属菌株R1534是玉米黄质的天然生产者。已克隆了该生物体的一个14 kb基因组DNA片段，并对一个包含类胡萝卜素生物合成基因的5.1 kb片段进行了测序。类胡萝卜素生物合成簇由至少两个操纵子中的五个基因组成。这五个基因对于玉米黄质的合成是必需且足够的。所编码的蛋白质与其他产类胡萝卜素生物体的crtE、crtB、crtY、crtI和crtZ基因产物具有显著同源性。通过对用携带黄杆菌属菌株R1534类胡萝卜素生物合成簇缺失的质粒转化的大肠杆菌宿主菌株中类胡萝卜素积累的HPLC分析，对各个基因产物进行了生化鉴定。
