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. 1993 Sep;59(9):3150–3153. doi: 10.1128/aem.59.9.3150-3153.1993

Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the crtB gene of Thermus thermophilus HB27, an extreme thermophile producing carotenoid pigments.

T Hoshino 1, R Fujii 1, T Nakahara 1
PMCID: PMC182424  PMID: 8215386

Abstract

We have cloned and sequenced a 1.5-kb chromosomal fragment of Thermus thermophilus which promoted the overproduction of carotenoids in T. thermophilus. An open reading frame (ORF-A) coding for a polypeptide with 289 amino acids was responsible for carotenoid overproduction. The putative ORF-A protein showed significant homology with the amino acid sequences of crtB gene products (phytoene syntheses) of other microorganisms. The clone containing the ORF-A on a multicopy plasmid produced about three times as much carotenoid as that produced by the host strain, suggesting that the crtB gene product is a rate-limiting enzyme for carotenoid biosynthesis in T. thermophilus.

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Selected References

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