RESUMO
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) biofortification with provitamin A carotenoids is an ongoing process that aims to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. The moderate content of provitamin A carotenoids achieved so far limits the contribution to providing adequate dietary vitamin A levels. Strategies to increase carotenoid content focused on genes from the carotenoids biosynthesis pathway. In recent years, special emphasis was given to ORANGE protein (OR), which promotes the accumulation of carotenoids and their stability in several plants. The aim of this work was to identify, characterize and investigate the role of OR in the biosynthesis and stabilization of carotenoids in cassava and its relationship with phytoene synthase (PSY), the rate-limiting enzyme of the carotenoids biosynthesis pathway. Gene and protein characterization of OR, expression levels, protein amounts and carotenoids levels were evaluated in roots of one white (60444) and two yellow cassava cultivars (GM5309-57 and GM3736-37). Four OR variants were found in yellow cassava roots. Although comparable expression was found for three variants, significantly higher OR protein amounts were observed in the yellow varieties. In contrast, cassava PSY1 expression was significantly higher in the yellow cultivars, but PSY protein amount did not vary. Furthermore, we evaluated whether expression of one of the variants, MeOR_X1, affected carotenoid accumulation in cassava Friable Embryogenic Callus (FEC). Overexpression of maize PSY1 alone resulted in carotenoids accumulation and induced crystal formation. Co-expression with MeOR_X1 led to greatly increase of carotenoids although PSY1 expression was high in the co-expressed FEC. Our data suggest that posttranslational mechanisms controlling OR and PSY protein stability contribute to higher carotenoid levels in yellow cassava. Moreover, we showed that cassava FEC can be used to study the efficiency of single and combinatorial gene expression in increasing the carotenoid content prior to its application for the generation of biofortified cassava with enhanced carotenoids levels.
Assuntos
Carotenoides/metabolismo , Manihot/metabolismo , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Provitaminas/metabolismo , Vitamina A/metabolismo , Vias Biossintéticas , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Genes de Plantas , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/genética , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/metabolismo , Manihot/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Raízes de Plantas/genética , Raízes de Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
Phytoene synthase 1 (Psy1) and lipoxygenase 1 (Lpx-1) are key genes involved in the synthesis and catalysis of carotenoid pigments in durum wheat, regulating the increase and decrease in these compounds, respectively, resulting in the distinct yellow color of semolina and pasta. Here, we reported new haplotype variants and/or allele combinations of these two genes significantly affecting yellow pigment content in grain and semolina through their effect on carotenoid pigments. To reach the purpose of this work, three complementary approaches were undertaken: the identification of QTLs associated to carotenoid content on a recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, the characterization of a Mediterranean panel of accessions for Psy1 and Lpx-1 genes, and monitoring the expression of Psy1 and Lpx-1 genes during grain filling on two genotypes with contrasting yellow pigments. Our data suggest that Psy1 plays a major role during grain development, contributing to semolina yellowness, and Lpx-1 appears to be more predominant at post-harvest stages and during pasta making.
Assuntos
Carotenoides/metabolismo , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/genética , Lipoxigenase/genética , Pigmentação/genética , Triticum/genética , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/metabolismo , Lipoxigenase/metabolismo , Região do Mediterrâneo , Locos de Características Quantitativas , Triticum/enzimologiaRESUMO
The membrane protease LonB is an essential protein in the archaeon Haloferax volcanii and globally impacts its physiology. However, natural substrates of the archaeal Lon protease have not been identified. The whole proteome turnover was examined in a H. volcanii LonB mutant under reduced and physiological protease levels. LC-MS/MS combined with stable isotope labeling was applied for the identification/quantitation of membrane and cytoplasm proteins. Differential synthesis and degradation rates were evidenced for 414 proteins in response to Lon expression. A total of 58 proteins involved in diverse cellular processes showed a degradation pattern (none/very little degradation in the absence of Lon and increased degradation in the presence of Lon) consistent with a LonB substrate, which was further substantiated for several of these candidates by pull-down assays. The most notable was phytoene synthase (PSY), the rate-limiting enzyme in carotenoid biosynthesis. The rapid degradation of PSY upon LonB induction in addition to the remarkable stabilization of this protein and hyperpigmentation phenotype in the Lon mutant strongly suggest that PSY is a LonB substrate. This work identifies for the first time candidate targets of the archaeal Lon protease and establishes proteolysis by Lon as a novel post-translational regulatory mechanism of carotenogenesis.
Assuntos
Proteínas Arqueais/metabolismo , Carotenoides/biossíntese , Regulação da Expressão Gênica em Archaea , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/metabolismo , Haloferax volcanii/enzimologia , Protease La/metabolismo , Proteoma/metabolismo , Proteínas Arqueais/genética , Cromatografia Líquida , Ontologia Genética , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/genética , Haloferax volcanii/genética , Marcação por Isótopo/métodos , Anotação de Sequência Molecular , Mutação , Protease La/genética , Biossíntese de Proteínas , Proteólise , Proteoma/genética , Especificidade por Substrato , Espectrometria de Massas em TandemRESUMO
A conventional breeding program was established to transfer the bacterial phytoene synthase transgene-crtB-from a transgenic, white-rooted cassava to yellow-rooted cassava plants carrying the endogenous phytoene synthase alleles named psy2-y 1 and/or psy2-y 2. Combining endogenous phytoene synthase enzymes (PSYs) with CRTB in a single cassava plant would allow the molecular dissection of individual allele contributions to carotenoid synthesis and/or accumulation in cassava roots. The simultaneous expression of the crtB transgene and psy2-y 2 in individuals planted in the field coincided with higher total, HPLC-quantified carotenoid content in roots, although the variability among replications (plants) precluded the detection of statistically significant differences. Nevertheless, the highest total carotenoid content in roots within a family coincided with one individual of the F1 progeny carrying both psy2-y 2 and crtB genes. The results also indicated the presence of at least one more key gene-different from psy or crtB-which too is necessary for the synthesis and/or accumulation of Pro-Vitamin A carotenoids in cassava roots.
Assuntos
Carotenoides/genética , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/genética , Manihot/genética , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas/genética , Alelos , Sequência de Aminoácidos/genética , Carotenoides/metabolismo , Regulação da Expressão Gênica de Plantas , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/metabolismo , Manihot/metabolismo , Raízes de Plantas/genética , Raízes de Plantas/metabolismo , Plantas Geneticamente Modificadas/metabolismoRESUMO
In this study, we examined phytoene synthetase (PSY), the first key limiting enzyme in the synthesis of carotenoids and catalyzing the formation of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate in terpenoid biosynthesis. We used known amino acid sequences of the PSY gene in tomato plants to conduct a genome-wide search and identify putative candidates in 34 sequenced plants. A total of 101 homologous genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that PSY evolved independently in algae as well as monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Our results showed that the amino acid structures exhibited 5 motifs (motifs 1 to 5) in algae and those in higher plants were highly conserved. The PSY gene structures showed that the number of intron in algae varied widely, while the number of introns in higher plants was 4 to 5. Identification of PSY genes in plants and the analysis of the gene structure may provide a theoretical basis for studying evolutionary relationships in future analyses.
Assuntos
Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/genética , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Plantas/genética , Motivos de Aminoácidos , Biologia Computacional , Bases de Dados Genéticas , Genoma de Planta , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/química , Geranil-Geranildifosfato Geranil-Geraniltransferase/metabolismo , Filogenia , Proteínas de Plantas/química , Proteínas de Plantas/metabolismo , Plantas/classificação , Plantas/metabolismoRESUMO
The yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous synthesizes the carotenoid astaxanthin, which has applications in biotechnology because of its antioxidant and pigmentation properties. However, wild-type strains produce too low amounts of carotenoids to be industrially competitive. Considering this background, it is indispensable to understand how the synthesis of astaxanthin is controlled and regulated in this yeast. In this work, the steps leading to the synthesis of the carotenoid precursor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate (GGPP, C20) in X. dendrorhous from isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP, C5) and dimethylallyl pyrophosphate (DMAPP, C5) was characterized. Two prenyl transferase encoding genes, FPS and crtE, were expressed in E. coli. The enzymatic assays using recombinant E. coli protein extracts demonstrated that FPS and crtE encode a farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP, C15) synthase and a GGPP-synthase, respectively. X. dendrorhous FPP-synthase produces geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP, C10) from IPP and DMAPP and FPP from IPP and GPP, while the X. dendrorhous GGPP-synthase utilizes only FPP and IPP as substrates to produce GGPP. Additionally, the FPS and crtE genes were over-expressed in X. dendrorhous, resulting in an increase of the total carotenoid production. Because the parental strain is diploid, the deletion of one of the alleles of these genes did not affect the total carotenoid production, but the composition was significantly altered. These results suggest that the over-expression of these genes might provoke a higher carbon flux towards carotenogenesis, most likely involving an earlier formation of a carotenogenic enzyme complex. Conversely, the lower carbon flux towards carotenogenesis in the deletion mutants might delay or lead to a partial formation of a carotenogenic enzyme complex, which could explain the accumulation of astaxanthin carotenoid precursors in these mutants. In conclusion, the FPS and the crtE genes represent good candidates to manipulate to favor carotenoid biosynthesis in X. dendrorhous.