Carotenogenesis in Haematococcus lacustris: Role of protein tyrosine phosphatases

In the present study, we examined the inhibitory effects of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) inhibitors, including sodium orthovanadate (SOV), ammonium molybdate (AM), and iodoacetamide (IA), on cell growth, accumulation of astaxanthin, and PTPase activity in the photosynthetic algae Haematococcus lacustris. PTPase activity was assayed spectrophotometrically and was found to be inhibited 60% to 90% after treatment with the inhibitors. SOV markedly abolished PTPase activity, significantly activating the accumulation of astaxanthin. These data suggest that the accumulation of astaxanthin in H. lacustris results from the concerted actions of several PTPases.