title: Carotenoid isomerase: a tale of light and isomers.
abstract: Carotenoids are terpenoid pigments containing systems of conjugated double bonds, each of which can exist in a cis or trans configuration. The existence of a carotenoid isomerase (CrtISO) mediating cis-to-trans isomerization has been suspected ever since the description of the tomato tangerine mutant in the early 1940s, whose fruits accumulate a poly-cis-isomer of lycopene. Recently, CrtISO has been cloned in Synechocystis and in plants, and has been shown to be related to bacterial carotene desaturases.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giuliano
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giliberto
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rosati
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases / Q000378:metabolism*; D007536:Isomerism; D008027:Light; D000077276:Lycopene; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D015394:Molecular Structure; D009154:Mutation; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; D019753:Intramolecular Lyases; C070925:lycopene cyclase-isomerase; D000077276:Lycopene