Carotenoid Pigments of the Dematiaceous Fungus Wangiella Dermatitidis

ABSTRACT

The synthesis of carotenoid pigments by Wangiella dermatitidis was demonstrated with both wild-type (wt) and melanin-deficient (Mel-) strains. The carotenoids synthesized included torulene and torularhodin and their syntheses were shown to require photoinduction. Illuminated incubation of a Mel- strain provided carotenoid-pigmented cells which were more resistant to ultraviolet irradiation than dark-incubated, nonpigmented cells. Both the wt and Mel- strains were capable of photoreactivation following exposure to ultraviolet light. These data describe the first observation of carotenoid synthesis by one of the dematiaceous yeasts and suggest that these pigments may have some role in photoprotection.

Key Words:

• carotenoids
• melanin-deficient
• photoprotection
• torulene
• torularhodin
• Wangiella dermatitidis