Abstract
The zygomycete Blakeslea trispora produces high amounts of the general zygomycete β-carotene-derived sexual signal compounds, the trisporoids. These can be isolated from the culture medium and purified by extraction with organic solvents followed by thin layer chromatography. Concentration is determined spectrophotometrically using specific extinction coefficients established for some members of this compound family. The effect of the extraction and activity of the isolated compounds is best tested physiologically, exploiting the ability of trisporoids to induce the formation of sexually committed hyphae, the zygophores, in other zygomycete species. Methods for B. trispora culture, trisporoid extraction, and further analyses of trisporoids are described in this chapter.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Caglioti L, Cainelli G, Camerino B, Mondelli R, Prieto A, Quilico A, Salvatori T, Selva A (1966) The structure of trisporic-C acid. Tetrahedron 22(Suppl 7):175–187
Wöstemeyer J, Schimek C (2007) Trisporic acid and mating in zygomycetes. In: Heitman J, Kronstad JW, Taylor JW, Casselton LA (eds) Sex in fungi. Molecular determination and evolutionary implications. ASM Press, Washington, pp 431–443
Schimek C, Wöstemeyer J (2006) Pheromone action in the fungal groups chytridiomycota, and zygomycota, and in the oomycota. In: Kües U, Fischer R (eds) The mycota I: growth, differentiation and sexuality. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 213–229
Schultze K, Schimek C, Wöstemeyer J, Burmester A (2005) Sexuality and parasitism share common regulatory pathways in the fungus Parasitella parasitica. Gene 348:33–44
Schimek C, Kleppe K, Saleem A-R, Voigt K, Burmester A, Wöstemeyer J (2003) Sexual reactions in Mortierellales are mediated by the trisporic acid system. Mycol Res 107:736–747
Gooday GW (1978) Functions of trisporic acid. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B 284:509–520
Kuzina V, Cerdá-Olmedo E (2006) Modification of sexual development and carotene production by acetate and other small carboxylic acids in Blakeslea trispora and Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Appl Environ Microbiol 72:4917–4922
Schmidt AD, Heinekamp T, Matuschek M, Liebmann B, Bollschweiler C, Brakhage AA (2005) Analysis of mating-dependent transcription of Blakeslea trispora carotenoid biosynthesis genes carB and carRA by quantitative real-time PCR. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 67:549–555
Thomas DM, Goodwin TW (1967) Studies on carotenogenesis in Blakeslea trispora. I. General observations on synthesis in mated and unmated strains. Phytochemistry 6:355–360
Schimek C, Petzold A, Schultze K, Wetzel J, Wolschendorf F, Burmester A, Wöstemeyer J (2005) 4-Dihydromethyltrisporate dehydrogenase, an enzyme of the sex hormone pathway in Mucor mucedo, is constitutively transcribed but its activity is differently regulated in (+) and (−) mating types. Fungal Genet Biol 42:804–812
Wöstemeyer J (1985) Strain-dependent variation in ribosomal DNA arrangement in Absidia glauca. Eur J Biochem 146:443–448
Sutter RP, Whitaker JP (1981) Zygophore-stimulating precursors (pheromones) of trisporic acids active in (−) Phycomyces blakesleeanus. J Biol Chem 256:2334–2341
Nieuwenhuis M, van den Ende H (1975) Sex specificity of hormone synthesis in Mucor mucedo. Arch Microbiol 102:167–169
Schachtschabel D, Menzel KD, Krauter G, David A, Roth M, Horn U, Boland W, Wöstemeyer J, Schimek C (2010) Production and derivate composition of trisporoids in extended fermentation of Blakeslea trispora. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 88:241–249
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this protocol
Cite this protocol
Schimek, C., Wöstemeyer, J. (2012). Biosynthesis, Extraction, Purification, and Analysis of Trisporoid Sexual Communication Compounds from Mated Cultures of Blakeslea trispora . In: Barredo, JL. (eds) Microbial Carotenoids From Fungi. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 898. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-918-1_3
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-918-1_3
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-917-4
Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-918-1
eBook Packages: Springer Protocols