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The biochemical basis for structural diversity in the carotenoids of chlorophototrophic bacteria

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Abstract

Ongoing work has led to the identification of most of the biochemical steps in carotenoid biosynthesis in chlorophototrophic bacteria. In carotenogenesis, a relatively small number of modifications leads to a great diversity of carotenoid structures. This review examines the individual steps in the pathway, discusses how each contributes to structural diversity among carotenoids, and summarizes recent progress in elucidating the biosynthetic pathways for carotenoids in chlorophototrophs.

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Abbreviations

BChl:

Bacteriochlorophyll

Cab.:

Chloracidobacterium

Cfx. :

Chloroflexus

Chb. :

Chlorobaculum

Chl:

Chlorophyll

CRTISO:

Carotenoid isomerase (plants)

DMAPP:

Dimethylallyl pyrophosphate

E. :

Escherichia

Erb. :

Erythrobacter

FPP:

Farnesyl pyrophosphate

GGPP:

Geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate

Glb. :

Gloeobacter

GSB:

Green sulfur bacteria

Hbc. :

Heliobacillus

Hbm. :

Heliobacterium

Hps. :

Herpetosiphon

Htx. :

Heliothrix

IPP:

Isopentenyl diphosphate

MEP:

2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate

ORF:

Open reading frame

PDS:

Phytoene desaturase (plants)

PS:

Photosystem

PSB:

Purple sulfur bacteria

Rfx. :

Roseiflexus

Rhb. :

Rhodobacter

Rps. :

Rhodopseudomonas

Rsp. :

Rhodospirillum

Rvx. :

Rubrivivax

S. :

Staphylococcus

ZDS:

ζ-carotene desaturase (plants)

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Acknowledgements

Research from the laboratory of Donald A. Bryant was generously supported by the US Dept. of Energy (DE-FG02-94ER20137) and National Science Foundation (MCB-0523100 and MCB-0519743).

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  1. Julia A. Maresca

    Present address: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Division of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA

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  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA

    Julia A. Maresca, Joel E. Graham & Donald A. Bryant

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Maresca, J.A., Graham, J.E. & Bryant, D.A. The biochemical basis for structural diversity in the carotenoids of chlorophototrophic bacteria. Photosynth Res 97, 121–140 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11120-008-9312-3

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