title: Identification and spectroscopic characterization of neurosporene.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Neurosporene is a carotene and an intermediate in the synthesis of lycopene from phytoene. Its content in carotenogenic organisms is very low; hence, the complete assignments of its spectroscopic data, including NMR, are insufficient.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A purple bacterium of Rhodobacter sphaeroides G1C mutant had only one carotenoid. This carotenoid was extracted and purified using silica gel, DEAE-Toyopearl and C18-HPLC columns. It was identified using its absorption spectra, mass spectra, and (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectra, including two-dimensional spectral analyses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The major carotenoid in the Rhodobacter sphaeroides G1C mutant was identified as neurosporene (7,8-dihydro-ψ,ψ-carotene) using spectroscopic measurements, including complete assignments of its (1)H- and (13)C-NMR spectral data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Nippon Medical School, Kyonan-cho 1, Musashino, 180-0023, Japan. takaichi@nms.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takaichi
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Production Development, Shimogamo-morimoto, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-0805, Japan. maoka@mbox.kyoto-inet.or.jp.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maoka
mesh_terms: D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D012242:Rhodobacter sphaeroides / Q000378:metabolism*; D013053:Spectrophotometry
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids; C008604:neurosporene
keywords: Carotene; Carotenoid; LC-MS; NMR; Neurosporene