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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #115920
Title: ENHANCED BETA-CAROTENE BIOSYNTHESIS IN FUSARIUM SPOROTRICHIOIDES TRANSFORMED WITH A CAROTENOGENIC GENE CASSETTE IN TANDEM WITH TRI10

Author
item Jones, James
item HOHN, THOMAS - NOVARTIS
item Leathers, Timothy

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/19/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: A significant portion of isoprenoid pathway carbon flow in the filamentous fungus Fusarium sporotrichioides is utilized for the production of sesquiterpenoid toxins (trichothecenes). Trichothecene-deficient mutants have been developed to determine if isoprenoid precursors formerly channeled into trichothecene biosynthesis can be utilized in the synthesis of carotenoids or related compounds of commercial interest. A gene disrupted, trichothecene-deficient mutant of F. sporotrichioides was transformed with gene cassettes containing the necessary biosynthetic genes for the synthesis of the carotenoid, beta-carotene from farnesyl diphosphate. Elevated levels of beta-carotene production were observed in transformants in which the carotenogenic gene cassette was linked in tandem with a copy of Tri10, a gene present in the trichothecene biosynthetic gene cluster of F. sporotrichioides. The gene product of Tri10 is thought to be einvolved in the global regulation of trichothecene production. Results suggest that the increase in beta-carotene production was due to the presence of the Tri10 transgene, as opposed to a gene dosage effect. Beta-carotene production in these strains was similar to levels reported for metabolically engineered E. coli and C. utilis strains.