title: α-Carotene and its derivatives have a sole chirality in phototrophic organisms?
abstract: Carotenoids in eukaryotic phototrophic organisms can be classified into two groups; β-carotene and its derivatives, and α-carotene and its derivatives. We re-examined distribution of α-carotene and its derivatives among various taxa of aquatic algae (17 classes) and land plants. α-carotene and its derivatives were found from Rhodophyceae (macrophytic type), Cryptophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Chlorarachniophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Charophyceae, and land plants, while they could not be detected from Glaucophyceae, Rhodophyceae (unicellular type), Chryosophyceae, Raphidophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Xanthophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae, Haptophyceae, and Dinophyceae. We also analyzed the chirality of α-carotene and/or its derivatives, such as lutein and siphonaxanthin, and found all of them had only (6'R)-type, not (6'S)-type.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Nippon Medical School, Nakahara, Kawasaki, Japan. takaichi@nms.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takaichi
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mochimaru
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008954:Models, Biological; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism; D000461:Rhodophyta / Q000378:metabolism; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene