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. 1967 Sep;104(3):767–777. doi: 10.1042/bj1040767

The stereospecific biosynthesis of phytoene and polyunsaturated carotenes

R J H Williams 1,*, G Britton 1,*, Josephine M Charlton 1,†, T W Goodwin 1,*
PMCID: PMC1271218  PMID: 6049923

Abstract

1. The incorporation of [2-14C,(5R)-5-3H1]mevalonic acid and [2-14C,5-3H2]-mevalonic acid into phytoene, phytofluene, ζ-carotene, neurosporene, α-, β-, γ- and δ-carotene and lycopene by slices of fruit from two tomato mutants (delta and tangerine) and into α- and β-carotene by bean leaves has been studied. 2. In the formation of phytoene, all the pro-R-hydrogen atoms from C-5 of mevalonic acid are retained whereas two pro-S-hydrogen atoms are lost. 3. Possible mechanisms for the condensation of two molecules of all-trans-geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate are outlined. 4. In each dehydrogenation step from phytoene to the fully unsaturated carotenes, one pro-R-hydrogen atom from C-5 of mevalonic acid is lost, indicating that the sequential dehydrogenation is stereospecific and in the same sense at each step.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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