Aryl Polyenes,a Highly Abundant Class of Bacterial Natural Products,Are Functionally Related to Antioxidative Carotenoids |
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| Authors: | Tim A. Schöner Dr. Sören Gassel Ayako Osawa Dr. Nicholas J. Tobias Yukari Okuno Yui Sakakibara Prof. Kazutoshi Shindo Prof. Gerhard Sandmann Prof. Helge B. Bode |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Merck Stiftungsprofessur für Molekulare Biotechnologie, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universit?t Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;2. Biosynthesis Group, Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe Universit?t Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany;3. Japan Women's University, Tokyo, Japan;4. Buchmann Institute for Molecular Life Sciences (BMLS), Goethe Universit?t Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Bacterial pigments of the aryl polyene type are structurally similar to the well‐known carotenoids with respect to their polyene systems. Their biosynthetic gene cluster is widespread in taxonomically distant bacteria, and four classes of such pigments have been found. Here we report the structure elucidation of the aryl polyene/dialkylresorcinol hybrid pigments of Variovorax paradoxus B4 by HPLC‐UV‐MS, MALDI‐MS and NMR. Furthermore, we show for the first time that this pigment class protects the bacterium from reactive oxygen species, similarly to what is known for carotenoids. An analysis of the distribution of biosynthetic genes for aryl polyenes and carotenoids in bacterial genomes is presented; it shows a complementary distribution of these protective pigments in bacteria. |
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| Keywords: | antioxidants aryl polyenes carotenoids dialkylresorcinols dyes/pigments natural products |
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