Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Genes for mevalonate biosynthesis in Phycomyces.

J Ruiz-Albert1, E Cerdá-Olmedo, L M Corrochano

  • 1Departamento de Genética, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain.

Molecular Genetics and Genomics : MGG
|January 26, 2002
PubMed
Summary

Researchers cloned and characterized key genes (hmgS and hmgR) for terpenoid biosynthesis in Phycomyces blakesleeanus. These genes are crucial for producing essential compounds like sterols and carotenoids.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Erratum for Myers et al., "Survey of Early-Diverging Lineages of Fungi Reveals Abundant and Diverse Mycoviruses".

mBio·2020
Same author

Survey of Early-Diverging Lineages of Fungi Reveals Abundant and Diverse Mycoviruses.

mBio·2020
Same author

Relationship of photocarotenogenesis to other behavioural and regulatory responses inPhycomyces.

Planta·2013
Same author

Photomorphogenesis inPhycomyces: Dependence on environmental conditions.

Planta·2013
Same author

Photomorphogenesis inPhycomyces: Fluence-response curves and action spectra.

Planta·2013
Same author

Photoinduced accumulation of carotene in Phycomyces.

Planta·2013

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Mycology

Background:

  • Terpenoids, including sterols and carotenoids, are vital organic compounds with diverse biological roles.
  • Early terpenoid biosynthesis involves 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) synthase and reductase enzymes.
  • Phycomyces blakesleeanus is a model organism for studying fungal development and biosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To clone and characterize the HMG-CoA synthase (hmgS) and HMG-CoA reductase (hmgR) genes in Phycomyces blakesleeanus.
  • To investigate the structural and functional properties of the encoded proteins.
  • To explore potential regulatory mechanisms of terpenoid biosynthesis in this fungus.

Main Methods:

  • Gene cloning and characterization from Phycomyces blakesleeanus.
  • Bioinformatic analysis of gene sequences and predicted protein structures.
  • Heterologous expression of protein domains in Escherichia coli to assess catalytic activity.
  • Analysis of gene expression in carotene-overproducing mutants.

Main Results:

  • The genes hmgS and hmgR were successfully cloned and found to exist as single copies in the Phycomyces genome.
  • The predicted HMG-CoA synthase (HmgS) is hydrophilic, while HMG-CoA reductase (HmgR) possesses transmembrane segments and a catalytic hydrophilic domain.
  • The isolated hydrophilic domain of HmgR retained catalytic activity when expressed in E. coli.
  • Regulatory motifs potentially involved in sterol sensing were identified in the hmgS promoter and HmgR.
  • Carotene-overproducing mutants exhibited higher hmgS mRNA levels compared to wild-type, suggesting a response to increased HMG-CoA demand.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides foundational molecular insights into terpenoid biosynthesis in Phycomyces blakesleeanus.
  • The characterized genes and their regulatory features offer a basis for understanding sterol and carotenoid production in fungi.
  • The findings suggest a link between carotenoid overproduction and the regulation of early terpenoid pathway genes.

Related Experiment Videos