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Carotenoids and Their Biosynthesis in Fungi
1Biosynthesis Group, Institute for Molecular Biosciences, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universität Frankfurt, D-60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 25, 2022
Summary
This review explores fungal carotenoids, unique pigmented terpenoids with antioxidant functions. It details their biosynthesis, conversion into trisporic acids, and potential for biotechnological production in yeasts.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Mycology
- Metabolic Engineering
Background:
- Carotenoids are pigmented terpenoids found across fungal taxa, often with distinct chemical structures compared to other organisms.
- In heterotrophic fungi, carotenoids primarily function as antioxidants, protecting against reactive oxygen species generated during photosensitized reactions.
- Carotenoids undergo metabolic conversion into apocarotenoids via oxidative cleavage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on fungal-specific carotenoids, including their distribution, biosynthesis, and conversion pathways.
- To elucidate the genes and reactions involved in both characterized and potential non-characterized fungal carotenoid pathways.
- To highlight strategies for genetic engineering of yeasts for enhanced carotenoid production.
Main Methods:
- Literature review synthesizing existing research on fungal carotenoid occurrence, biosynthesis, and metabolism.
- Analysis of known and proposed reaction mechanisms and genes involved in carotenoid pathways in various fungi.
- Evaluation of genetic engineering approaches for optimizing carotenoid production in yeast systems.
Main Results:
- Fungal carotenoids exhibit unique structures and are widely distributed across fungal groups.
- Detailed pathways for carotenoid biosynthesis and conversion to trisporic acids in fungi are presented, including potential novel mechanisms.
- Engineered yeasts show significant potential as efficient production systems for various carotenoids.
Conclusions:
- Fungal carotenoids are structurally diverse terpenoids with crucial antioxidant roles.
- Understanding fungal-specific biosynthetic pathways is key to harnessing their biotechnological potential.
- Genetic engineering of yeasts offers a promising avenue for scalable carotenoid production.
Keywords:
carotenogenic pathwayscarotenoid biosynthesiscarotenoid distributioncarotenoid pathway engineeringreaction mechanismstrisporic acidsMore Related Videos
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