Production of β‐carotene in
            Saccharomyces cerevisiae
            through altering yeast lipid metabolism

Eukaryotic cell survival requires maintenance of plasma membrane (PM) homeostasis in response to environmental insults and changes in lipid metabolism. In yeast, a key regulator of PM homeostasis is target of rapamycin (TOR) complex 2 (TORC2), a multiprotein complex containing the evolutionarily conserved TOR protein kinase isoform Tor2. PM localization is essential for TORC2 function. One core TORC2 subunit (Avo1) and two TORC2-associated regulators (Slm1 and Slm2) contain pleckstrin homology (PH) domains that exhibit specificity for binding phosphatidylinositol-4,5- bisphosphate (PtdIns4,5P2). To investigate the roles of PtdIns4,5P2 and constituent subunits of TORC2, we used auxin-inducible degradation to systematically eliminate these factors and then examined localization, association, and function of the remaining TORC2 components. We found that PtdIns4,5P2 depletion significantly reduced TORC2 activity, yet did not prevent PM localization or cause disassembly of TORC2. Moreover, truncated Avo1 (lacking its C-terminal PH domain) was still recruited to the PM and supported growth. Even when all three PH-containing proteins were absent, the remaining TORC2 subunits were PM-bound. Revealingly, Avo3 localized to the PM independent of both Avo1 and Tor2, whereas both Tor2 and Avo1 required Avo3 for their PM anchoring. Our findings provide new mechanistic information about TORC2 and pinpoint Avo3 as pivotal for TORC2 PM localization and assembly in vivo.

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CMO1 Deficiency Abolishes Vitamin A Production from β-Carotene and Alters Lipid Metabolism in Mice

Journal of Biological Chemistry ◽

10.1074/jbc.m706763200 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 282 (46) ◽

pp. 33553-33561 ◽

Cited By ~ 168

Author(s):

Susanne Hessel ◽

Anne Eichinger ◽

Andrea Isken ◽

Jaume Amengual ◽

Silke Hunzelmann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lipid Metabolism ◽

Vitamin A ◽

Vitamin A Deficiency ◽

Elevated Serum ◽

Pcr Analysis ◽

Marker Genes ◽

Mouse Mutant ◽

Adipose Tissues ◽

Β Carotene

Carotenoids are currently investigated regarding their potential to lower the risk of chronic disease and to combat vitamin A deficiency in humans. These plant-derived compounds must be cleaved and metabolically converted by intrinsic carotenoid oxygenases to support the panoply of vitamin A-dependent physiological processes. Two different carotenoid-cleaving enzymes were identified in mammals, the classical carotenoid-15,15′-oxygenase (CMO1) and a putative carotenoid-9′,10′-oxygenase (CMO2). To analyze the role of CMO1 in mammalian physiology, here we disrupted the corresponding gene by targeted homologous recombination in mice. On a diet providing β-carotene as major vitamin A precursor, vitamin A levels fell dramatically in several tissues examined. Instead, this mouse mutant accumulated the provitamin in large quantities (e.g. as seen by an orange coloring of adipose tissues). Besides impairments in β-carotene metabolism, CMO1 deficiency more generally interfered with lipid homeostasis. Even on a vitamin A-sufficient chow, CMO1-/- mice developed a fatty liver and displayed altered serum lipid levels with elevated serum unesterified fatty acids. Additionally, this mouse mutant was more susceptible to high fat diet-induced impairments in fatty acid metabolism. Quantitative reverse transcription-PCR analysis revealed that the expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ-regulated marker genes related to adipogenesis was elevated in visceral adipose tissues. Thus, our study identifies CMO1 as the key enzyme for vitamin A production and provides evidence for a role of carotenoids as more general regulators of lipid metabolism.

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