Expression in Escherichia coli and properties of the carotene ketolase from Haematococcus pluvialis

Abstract High level expression of the functional β-carotene ketolase gene bkt from Haematococcus pluvialis occurred in Escherichia coli transformants producing β-carotene or zeaxanthin as a result of the presence of additional carotenoid genes from Erwinia uredovora . Requirement of molecular oxygen for the insertion of the keto group was demonstrated. The final product of this two-step ketolase reaction from β-carotene is canthaxanthin (4,4'-diketo-β-carotene) with the 4-monoketo derivative echinenone as an intermediate. A reaction sequence for the formation of astaxanthin from β-carotene was established based on kinetic data on astaxanthin formation in E. coli transformants carrying the hydroxylase gene crtZ from Erwinia along with bkt . We conclude that the carotenoids zeaxanthin and adonixanthin which accumulate in addition to astaxanthin in this transformant are products of side reactions rather than direct precursors of astaxanthin. The possible mechanisms for the formation of the keto derivatives are discussed.     

雨生红球藻β－胡萝卜素酮化酶（bkt）启动子功能分析

单细胞绿藻———雨生红球藻在逆境条件下积累大量的虾青素。β-胡萝卜素酮化酶(bkt)催化在β-胡萝卜素和玉米黄素的β-紫罗酮环C-4位引入酮基的反应,是虾青素合成过程中的关键酶。我们利用凝胶阻滞的方法研究雨生红球藻中bkt基因309bp(-617/-309)启动子区域的转录因子结合位点并发现在-396/-338的59bp探针存在特异的核蛋白结合位点。通过序列分析,发现此59bp区域并不包含TATA或者CAAT-box,而是存在对光、缺氧、p-香豆酸及激素反应的G-box。     

雨生红球藻基因组文库的构建及鉴定

本研究以雨生红球藻34-1n为材料,提取其基因组DNA,利用限制性内切酶Sau3AⅠ对基因组DNA进行酶解,回收6~8kb的基因组DNA片段,并浓缩至200ng/μL。该片段与经BamH Ⅰ酶切和去磷酸化处理后的pUC18载体连接,然后电击转化到受体菌Escherichia.coli DH5α中,获得雨生红球藻34-1n的基因组文库。该文库的平均插入片段长度约为6.5kb,获得6×105个克隆数。通过PCR筛选,由雨生红球藻基因组文库中获得含bkt1序列的单克隆菌,与β-胡萝卜素氧化酶序列(GenBank:DQ086233.1)进行比对,结果表明bkt1基因组序列含有6个外显子。本研究为进一步鉴定雨生红球藻相关基因提供了一个文库平台。