P154: Genome sequence of the astaxanthin producer yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.

Astaxanthin, is the principal carotenoid responsible for the orange-red color of marine invertebrates, fish, and birds and is primarily produced by phytoplankton and the red basidiomycetous yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous. In commercial fish and crustacean farms, astaxanthin is added to the food of farm-raised salmon, trout and shrimp, and it gives their flesh and skin the desirable pink hue that in the wild would be acquired from eating algae. In addition, astaxanthin has a strong antioxidant activity and some essential biological functions, including protection against UV-light effects; supporting good vision and eye health and enhancing immune response. Astaxanthin can be produced by chemical or biotechnological means. However, food or feed additives from biotechnological processes are preferred by consumers to those produced by chemical technologies. Despite its biotechnological importance, relatively few genetic tools or engineered strains have been generated for X. dendrorhous. To facilitate progress in its biotechnological exploitation, we present the genomic sequence of X. dendrorhous MYA131 strain. We also provide manually curated annotation for its protein-coding genes. A reconstructed metabolic network comprising more than 1,000 unique reactions illustrates the versatile metabolism of X. dendrorhous.