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Secondary ketocarotenoid astaxanthin biosynthesis in algae: a multifunctional response to stress

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Abstract

Under stressful environments, many green algae such as Haematococcus pluvialis accumulate secondary ketocarotenoids such as canthaxanthin and astaxanthin. The carotenogenesis, responsible for natural phenomena such as red snows, generally accompanies larger metabolic changes as well as morphological modifications, i.e., the conversion of the green flagellated macrozoids into large red cysts. Astaxanthin accumulation constitutes a convenient way to store energy and carbon, which will be used for further synthesis under less stressful conditions. Besides this, the presence of high amount of astaxanthin enhances the cell resistance to oxidative stress generated by unfavorable environmental conditions including excess light, UV-B irradiation, and nutrition stress and, therefore, confers a higher survival capacity to the cells. This better resistance results from the quenching of oxygen atoms for the synthesis itself as well as from the antioxidant properties of the astaxanthin molecules. Therefore, astaxanthin synthesis corresponds to a multifunctional response to stress. In this contribution, the various biochemical, genetic, and molecular data related to the biosynthesis of ketocarotenoids by Haematococcus pluvialis and other taxa are reviewed and compared. A tentative regulatory model of the biochemical network driving astaxanthin production is proposed.

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Abbreviations

BKT, CRTO:

4,4′-Ketolase

Car:

Carotenoid

Chl:

Chlorophyll

CHX:

Cycloheximide

CHY-b, CRTR-b, CRTZ:

3,3′-Hydroxylase

CPTA:

2-(4-Chlorophenylthio)-triethylamine

CRTL-b:

Lycopene β-cyclase

DMAPP:

Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate

DPA:

Diphenylamine

GGPP:

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate

HL:

High-light

IPP:

Isopentenylpyrophosphate

IPI:

Isopentenylpyrophosphate isomerase

LHC:

Light-harvesting complexes

MGDG:

Monogalactosyldiacylglycerol

NF:

Norflurazon

PAGE:

Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

PDS:

Phytoene desaturase

PQ:

Plastoquinone

PS:

Photosystem

PSY:

Phytoene synthase

PTOX:

Plastid terminal oxidase of chlororespiration

ROS:

Reactive oxygen species

SC:

Secondary carotenoid

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TAG:

Triacylglycerol

ZDS:

ζ-Carotene desaturase

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  1. University Lille Nord de France, UMR 8187 LOG CNRS/University Lille 1, Bât SN2, 59655, Villeneuve d’Ascq Cedex, France

    Yves Lemoine

  2. Plante-Microbe-Environnement, UMR CNRS/INRA/University of Burgundy, 17 rue Sully, 21000, Dijon, France

    Benoît Schoefs

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Lemoine, Y., Schoefs, B. Secondary ketocarotenoid astaxanthin biosynthesis in algae: a multifunctional response to stress. Photosynth Res 106, 155–177 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-010-9583-3

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