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Phytoene desaturase (lycopene-forming)
Crystallographic structure of a bacterial phytoene desaturase monomer from Pantoea ananatis.
Phytoene desaturase (lycopene-forming) (CrtI, four-step phytoene desaturase) (EC1.3.99.31, 15-cis-phytoene:acceptor oxidoreductase (lycopene-forming)) are enzymes found in archaea, bacteria and fungi that are involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. They catalyze the conversion of colorless 15-cis-phytoene into a bright red lycopene in a biochemical pathway called the poly-trans pathway. The same process in plants and cyanobacteria utilizes four separate enzymes in a poly-cis pathway.
Biochemistry
The conversion of phytoene to lycopene in plants and cyanobacteria (left) compared to bacteria and fungi(right).
Bacterial phytoene desaturases were shown to require FAD as a cofactor for their function. During the chemical reaction in total four additional double bonds are introduced into phytoene:
In 2000 it was discovered that the gene insertion of a bacterial phytoene desaturase into transgenic tomatoes increased the lycopene content without the need to alter several of the plants enzymes. This approach was later used in rice to increase its β-carotene content resulting in the Golden Rice project.
Crystallographic structure of a bacterial phytoene desaturase monomer from Pantoea ananatis.
