Algal and bacterial pigments in non-laminated lacustrine sediment: Studies of their sedimentation, degradation and stratigraphy

Abstract Natural phyto- and bacterioplankton populations of Lake Vechten (the Netherlands) were subjected to darkness under oxic and anoxic conditions at in situ temperatures in order to test the stability in time of their photosynthetic pigments. Furthermore, sedimentary fluxes and concentrations of pigments were estimated in (respectively) sediment trap catches and at the sediment-water interphase in order to measure the pigment breakdown upon burial into the sediment. The chlorophylls and most of the xanthophylls showed substantial losses of 20% to 60% in the incubation experiments as well as in the surficial sediment. β-Carotene, okenone and echinenone were most stable (2–10% losses); fucoxanthin and peridinin were degraded extensively; alloxanthin and zeaxanthin held an intermediate position as did the bacteriochlorophylls. Trends in sediment profiles of pigments were compared with limnological data obtained during the enhanced eutrophication of the lake. Evidence was provided that the β-carotene profile closely followed the increase of phytoplankton biomass. Although susceptible to substantial degradation, several profiles of pigments and of pigment ratios could be related in a qualitative way to biomass and to shifts in species composition which occurred as a result of the changing ecological conditions in the lake.     

Accumulation of carotenoids in structural and regulatory mutants of the bacterium Myxococcus xanthus

Summary Accumulation of carotenoids in Myxococcus xanthus is absolutely dependent on illumination with blue light. We report the analysis of the carotenoids of dark- and light-grown cultures of the wild type and several previously characterized mutants. A carR mutant produces the same carotenoids in the dark as the wild type grown in the light. This agrees with previous evidence indicating that the carR gene codes for a general negative regulator of the system. A cis-dominant mutation in the gene carA causes constitutive expression of the light-inducible gene carB, which is linked to carA. In the dark, the carA mutant produces high levels of phytoene, the first C₄₀ colourless carotenoid precursor; in the light, it produces the same carotenoids as the wild type. Since a mutation in carB blocks accumulation of phytoene, we propose that carB, and probably other linked genes also controlled by carA, code for enzymes involved in the synthesis of phytoene. This is virtually the only carotene accumulated by strains mutated in the gene carC, which is unlinked to the others. Thus carC codes for phytoene dehydrogenase, the enzyme that converts phytoene into coloured carotenoids. The results presented here also provide evidence for control of carotenogenesis by an endproduct that is independent of the blue light effect.     

Changing the site energy of per-614 in the Peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein does not alter its capability of chlorophyll triplet quenching

The peridinin–chlorophyll-a protein (PCP) is a water-soluble light harvesting protein of the dinoflagellate Amphidinium carterae, employing peridinin (Per) as the main carotenoid to fulfil light harvesting and photo-protective functions. Per molecules bound to the protein experience specific molecular surroundings which lead to different electronic and spectral properties. In the refolded N89?L variant PCP (N89?L-RFPCP) a significant part of the intensity on the long wavelength side of the absorption spectrum is shifted to shorter wavelengths due to a significant change in the Per-614 site energy. Since Per-614 has been shown to be the main chlorophyll (Chl) triplet quencher in the protein, and the relative geometry of pigments is not affected by the mutation as verified by X-ray crystallography, this variant is ideally suited to study the dependence of the triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTET) mechanism on the pigment site energy. By using a combination of Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance (ODMR), pulse Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) and Electron Nuclear DOuble Resonance (ENDOR) we found that PCP maintains the efficient Per-614-to-Chl-a TTET despite the change of Per-614 local energy. This shows the robustness of the photoprotective site, which is very important for the protection of the system.     

饲料中添加雨生红球藻粉对中华绒螯蟹成体雄蟹生化组成的影响

为研究饲料中添加雨生红球藻(Haematococcus pluvialis)粉对中华绒螯蟹(Eriocheir sinensis)成体雄蟹成活、增重和生化组成的影响,分别在饲料中添加0、0.2%、0.4%和0.6%的雨生红球藻粉,配制4种等氮等脂的育肥饲料,投喂生殖蜕壳后雄蟹60 d,计算各组成活率、增重率、特定生长率和肥满度,同时测定了组织中的常规营养成分、脂肪酸组成和类胡萝卜素含量,并对实验数据进行方差分析。结果显示:(1)饲料中添加雨生红球藻粉对成体雄蟹的成活率、增重率、特定生长率和肥满度均无显著影响。(2)雄蟹性腺中的粗蛋白及肝胰腺总脂含量均以雨生红球藻粉0.4%组最高,而肌肉水分含量随饲料中雨生红球藻粉含量的升高整体呈上升趋势(P0.05)。(3)性腺中的脂肪酸C20:0含量随饲料雨生红球藻粉添加水平的升高而显著上升,而C16:1n7、C18:2n6和C18:3n3含量分别在雨生红球藻粉0.6%组、0.4%组和0组最高(P0.05)。(4)肝胰腺中的脂肪酸C14:0、C18:0和C18:1n7含量均以雨生红球藻粉0.2%组最高,而C18:1n9和总单不饱和脂肪酸(∑MUFA)含量均以雨生红球藻粉0.6%组最高(P0.05)。(5)肌肉中的脂肪酸C14:1n5和C20:2n6含量在雨生红球藻粉0.2%组最高(P0.05),C16:0含量及二十二碳六烯酸/二十碳五烯酸(DHA/EPA)比例以雨生红球藻粉0.4%组最高,而C22:6n3、总多不饱和脂肪酸(∑PUFA)、∑n-3 PUFA和总高度不饱和脂肪酸(∑HUFA)含量均以雨生红球藻粉0.6%组最高(P0.05)。(6)肝胰腺中的虾青素、β-胡萝卜素和头胸甲中的虾青素、叶黄素、玉米黄素含量随饲料中雨生红球藻粉含量的升高而显著上升(P0.05)。综上,饲料中添加雨生红球藻粉对成体雄蟹成活率、增重率和肥满度无显著影响,但可提高性腺粗蛋白、肌肉总多不饱和脂肪酸、肝胰腺和头胸甲中的类胡萝卜素含量,雄蟹育肥饲料中适宜的雨生红球藻粉添加量建议为0.4%左右。     

Activation and analysis of crypticcrt genes for carotenoid biosynthesis fromStreptomyces griseus

Genes encoding enzymes with sequence similarity to carotenoid biosynthetic enzymes of other organisms were cloned fromStreptomyces griseus JA3933 and transformed into the colourless (non-daunorubicin producing) mutantStreptomyces griseus IMET JA3933/956/2. Cells harbouring these genes showed an orange-red pigmentation, caused by the strongly hydrophobic, membrane-bound lycopene. The cloned fragment (9 kb) contained seven genes, four transcribed in one direction (crtEIBV) and three (crtYTU) transcribed convergently to them. Three of these genes encode polypeptides that resemble geranylgeranyl-pyrophosphate (GGPP) synthases (CrtE), phytoene synthases (PS) (CrtB) and phytoene dehydrogenases (PDH) (CrtI), respectively, of various bacteria. These enzymes are sufficient for the formation of lycopene.crtE alone was sufficient to induce zeaxanthin formation in anEscherichia coli clone containing thecrt gene cluster fromErwinia herbicola deleted forcrtE. The combination ofcrtE andcrtB led to formation of phytoene inS. griseus. The putativecrtEp promoter region was cloned and mapped by primer extension analysis. In a gel retardation experiment, this fragment was specifically shifted by an unknown protein. CrtY shows similarity to lycopene cyclases that convert lycopene into-carotene, CrtT resembles various methyltransferases and CrtU a dehydrogenase. We conclude that these genes are functionally intact, but not expressed (cryptic) in the wild-typeS. griseus strain.     

Composition and presumed biosynthetic pathway of carotenoids in the astaxanthin-producing bacterium Agrobacterium aurantiacum

Abstract The carotenoid composition of the astaxanthin-producing bacterium Agrobacterium aurantiacum was analysed under different culture conditions. Ten kinds of carotenoids, β-carotene, echinenone, β-cryptoxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, canthaxanthin, 3'-hydroxyechinenone, zeaxanthin, adonirubin, adonixanthin and astaxanthin, were identified by HPLC and spectroscopical techniques. A. aurantiacum synthesized astaxanthin from β-carotene through two hydroxylation steps at C-3 and 3', and oxidation steps at C-4 and 4'. The order of these reactions appeared to be controlled by the culture conditions. A new pathway for astaxanthin formation, different from that of other astaxanthin-producing microorganisms, is proposed.     

The carotenoid-deficient mutant, C-6E, of Scenedesmus obliquus is blocked at the site of phytoene synthase

In contrast to the wild type strain of Scenedesmus , mutant C-6E synthesized only trace amounts of the carotenoids violaxanthin and lutein during prolonged heterotrophic growth. All other carotenoids and carotenoid precursors, such as phytoene, were undetectable. Additionally, only reduced levels of chlorophyll a and no chlorophyll b were formed. To evaluate the potential site of inhibition in the pathway for carotenoid biosynthesis the enzymatic activities of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase and phytoene synthase were assayed in cell-free extracts. Both enzymes were highly active in extracts of the wild type but only geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase was active in comparable extracts from mutant C-6E . This observation strongly indicates that the phenotype of C-6E results from either a mutation of the phytoene synthase structural gene or of a regulatory gene involved in expression of this enzyme. Other phenotypic effects on composition and structure of the photosynthetic apparatus are discussed as a secondary consequence of the carotenoid deficiency in the thylakoid membranes.