Abstract
Wild-type Phycomyces blakesleeanus synthesizes the yellow pigment, beta-carotene. Colour mutants exhibit various alterations in the biosynthesis of beta-carotene or in its regulation. The presence of certain chemicals in the medium stimulates carotenogenesis in the wild type. We attribute different mechanisms of action to agents which stimulate or fail to stimulate different sets of mutants; this is the case of retinol and dimethyl phthalate. Dimethyl phthalate and veratrol are active on the same mutants, and therefore are likely to act in the same way. The main regulation of carotenogenesis, end-product inhibition, does not operate in the mutants of certain genes; these mutants are indifferent to retinol. By using a collection of retinoids we conclude that their action depends on their structural similarity to a part of the beta-carotene molecule. From these and other observations we propose that end-product inhibition of the pathway is mediated by a complex of beta-carotene and two gene products and that the retinoids compete with beta-carotene and prevent end-product inhibition.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aragón CMG, Murillo FJ, de la Guardia MD, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1976) An enzyme complex for the dehydrogenation of phytoene in Phycomyces. Eur J Biochem 63:71–75
Bejarano ER, Govind NS, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1987) Zeta-carotene an other carotenes in a Phycomyces mutant. Phytochemistry 26:2251–2254
Bergman K, Eslava AP, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1973) Mutants of Phycomyces with abnormal phototropism. Mol Gen Genet 123:1–16
Cerdá-Olmedo E (1985) Carotene mutants of Phycomyces. Methods Enzymol 110:220–243
Cerdá-Olmedo E (1987a) Carotene. In: Cerdá-Olmedo E, Lipson ED (eds) Phycomyces. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, pp 199–222
Cerdá-Olmedo E (1987b) Standard growth conditions and variations. In: Cerdá-Olmedo E, Lipson ED (eds) Phycomyces. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York, pp 337–339
Cerdá-Olmedo E, Hüttermann A (1986) Foerderung und Hemmung der Carotinsynthese bei Phycomyces durch Aromaten. Angew Bot 60:59–70
De la Guardia MD, Aragón CMG, Murillo FJ, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1971) A carotenogenic enzyme aggregate in Phycomyces: evidence from quantitative complementation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 68:2012–2015
Eslava AP, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1974) Genetic control of phytoene dehydrogenation in Phycomyces. Plant Sci Lett 3:9–14
Eslava AP, Alvarez MI, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1974) Regulation of carotene biosynthesis in Phycomyces by vitamin A and beta-ionone. Eur J Biochem 48:617–623
Govind NS, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1986) Sexual activation of carotenogenesis in Phycomyces blakesleeanus. J Gen Microbiol 132:2775–2780
López-Díaz I, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1980) Relationship of photocarotenogenesis to other behavioral and regulatory responses in Phycomyces. Planta 150:134–139
Mackinney G, Nakayama T, Buss CD, Chichester CO (1952) Carotenoid production in Phycomyces. J Am Chem Soc 74:3456–3457
Mackinney G, Nakayama T, Chichester CO, Buss CD (1953) Biosynthesis of carotene in Phycomyces. J Am Chem Soc 75:236–238
Meissner G, Delbrück M (1968) Carotenes and retinal in Phycomyces mutants. Plant Physiol 43:1279–1283
Murillo FJ (1980) Effect of CPTA on carotenogenesis by Phycomyces carA mutants. Plant Sci Lett 17:201–205
Murillo FJ, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1976) Regulation of carotene synthesis in Phycomyces. Mol Gen Genet 148:19–24
Murillo FJ, Torres-Martínez S, Aragón CMG, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1981) Substrate transfer in carotene biosynthesis in Phycomyces. Eur J Biochem 119:511–516
Ootaki T, Lighty AC, Delbrück M, Hsu WJ (1973) Complementation between mutants of Phycomyces deficient with respect to carotenogenesis. Mol Gen Genet 121:57–70
Reyes P, Chichester CO, Nakayama T (1964) The mechanism of beta-ionone stimulation of carotenoid and ergosterol biosynthesis in Phycomyces blakesleeanus. Biochim Biophys Acta 90:578–592
Torres-Martínez S, Murillo FJ, Cerdá-Olmedo E (1980) Genetics of lycopene cyclization and substrate transfer in beta-carotene biosynthesis in Phycomyces. Genet Res 36:299–309
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Deceased
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bejarano, E.R., Parra, F., Murillo, F.J. et al. End-product regulation of carotenogenesis in Phycomyces . Arch. Microbiol. 150, 209–214 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407781
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00407781