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Heterologous expression of astaxanthin biosynthesis genes in Mucor circinelloides

  • Applied Genetics and Molecular Biotechnology
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Abstract

Most Mucor species accumulate β-carotene as the main carotenoid. The crtW and crtZ astaxanthin biosynthesis genes from Agrobacterium aurantiacum were placed under the control of Mucor circinelloides expression signals. Expression vectors containing the bacterial genes were constructed, and PEG-mediated transformations were performed on a selected M. circinelloides strain. Transformants that exhibited altered carotene production were isolated and analyzed. Southern analysis showed that all plasmids behave as autoreplicative elements. Northern analysis detected the actual heterologous transcription products, whereas thin layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography studies revealed the presence of new carotenoid compounds and intermediates among the transformants.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by grants BIO2001-2040 (Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología); SA067/01 (Junta de Castilla y León, Spain); and the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA) grants T037471, F046658, and D048537. Dr. N. Misawa is acknowledged for the plasmid pAK96K.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Szeged, P.O. Box 533, 6701, Szeged, Hungary

    Tamás Papp & Csaba Vágvölgyi

  2. Área de Genética, Departamento de Microbiología y Genética, Lab. 301, University of Salamanca, Avda. Campo Charro s/n, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    Tamás Papp, Antonio Velayos, Arturo P. Eslava & Enrique A. Iturriaga

  3. Analytical Laboratory of Cereal Research Non-profit Company, P.O. Box 391, 6701, Szeged, Hungary

    Tibor Bartók

  4. Centro Hispano-Luso de Investigaciones Agrarias, University of Salamanca, Avda. Campo Charro s/n, 37007, Salamanca, Spain

    Arturo P. Eslava

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  1. Tamás Papp
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  2. Antonio Velayos
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  3. Tibor Bartók
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  4. Arturo P. Eslava
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  5. Csaba Vágvölgyi
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  6. Enrique A. Iturriaga
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Correspondence to Tamás Papp.

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Papp, T., Velayos, A., Bartók, T. et al. Heterologous expression of astaxanthin biosynthesis genes in Mucor circinelloides . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 69, 526–531 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-005-0026-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-005-0026-6

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