This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowReprints and Permissions
Right arrow Copyright Information
Right arrow Books from ASM Press
Right arrow MicrobeWorld
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Umeno, D.
Right arrow Articles by Arnold, F. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Umeno, D.
Right arrow Articles by Arnold, F. H.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Journal of Bacteriology, March 2004, p. 1531-1536, Vol. 186, No. 5
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.5.1531-1536.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Evolution of a Pathway to Novel Long-Chain Carotenoids

Daisuke Umeno* and Frances H. Arnold

Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125

Received 5 June 2003/ Accepted 30 October 2003

Using methods of laboratory evolution to force the C30 carotenoid synthase CrtM to function as a C40 synthase, followed by further mutagenesis at functionally important amino acid residues, we have discovered that synthase specificity is controlled at the second (rearrangement) step of the two-step reaction. We used this information to engineer CrtM variants that can synthesize previously unknown C45 and C50 carotenoid backbones (mono- and diisopentenylphytoenes) from the appropriate isoprenyldiphosphate precursors. With this ability to produce new backbones in Escherichia coli comes the potential to generate whole series of novel carotenoids by using carotenoid-modifying enzymes, including desaturases, cyclases, hydroxylases, and dioxygenases, from naturally occurring pathways.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 210-41 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125. Phone: (626) 395-4162. Fax: (626) 568-8743. E-mail: umeno{at}cheme.caltech.edu.

Journal of Bacteriology, March 2004, p. 1531-1536, Vol. 186, No. 5
0021-9193/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/JB.186.5.1531-1536.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Umeno, D., Tobias, A. V., Arnold, F. H. (2005). Diversifying Carotenoid Biosynthetic Pathways by Directed Evolution. Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. 69: 51-78 [Abstract] [Full Text]  


Copyright © 2009 by the American Society for Microbiology.   For an alternate route to Journals.ASM.org, visit: http://intl-journals.asm.org | More Info»