Cited by 175Plant biochemistry and biosynthesisAlgal biology and biofuel productionPhotosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms

Ketocarotenoid Biosynthesis Outside of Plastids in the Unicellular Green Alga Haematococcus pluvialis

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Grünewald, Kay, Hirschberg, Joseph, Hagen, Christoph·2001·Journal of Biological Chemistry

Abstract

The carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in algae and plants takes place within plastids. In these organelles, carotenoids occur either in a free form or bound to proteins. Under stress, the unicellular green alga Haematococcus pluvialis accumulates secondary carotenoids, mainly astaxanthin esters, in cytoplasmic lipid vesicles up to 4% of its dry mass. It is therefore one of the favored organisms for the biotechnological production of these antioxidative compounds. We have studied the cellular localization and regulation of the enzyme beta-carotene oxygenase in H. pluvialis that catalyzes the introduction of keto functions at position C-4 of the beta-ionone ring of beta-carotene and zeaxanthin. Using immunogold labeling of ultrathin sections and Western blot analysis of cell fractions, we discovered that under inductive conditions, beta-carotene oxygenase was localized both in the chloroplast and in the cytoplasmic lipid vesicles, which are (according to their lipid composition) derived from cytoplasmic membranes. However, beta-carotene oxygenase activity was confined to the lipid vesicle compartment. Because an early carotenogenic enzyme in the pathway, phytoene desaturase, was found only in the chloroplast (Grünewald, K., Eckert, M., Hirschberg, J., and Hagen, C. (2000) Plant Physiol. 122, 1261-1268), a transport of intermediates from the site of early biosynthetic steps in the chloroplast to the site of oxygenation and accumulation in cytoplasmic lipid vesicles is proposed.

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Crossref · 10.1074/jbc.m006400200

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  • Xanthophylls are oxygenated derivatives of carotenes, found in green algae and more developed plants, with some compounds exclusive from green algae.

    “In turn, xanthophylls are described as oxygenated derivatives of carotenes (such as violaxanthin), and can be found in green algae, as well as in more developed plants, although there are compounds (i.e., canthaxanthin and loroxanthin) that are exclusive from green algae [147,148].”

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Authors
Grünewald, K., Hirschberg, J., & Hagen, C.
Affiliations
  • Friedrich Schiller University Jena (DE)
  • Hebrew University of Jerusalem (IL)
Venue
Journal of Biological Chemistry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2001-02
Volume
276
Issue
8
Pages
6023-6029
ISSN
0021-9258 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1965476824
Cited by
175
References
35
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 14 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 5
FWCI
0.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Biological Chemistry (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Plant biochemistry and biosynthesis
  • Physical Sciences › Energy › Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment › Algal biology and biofuel production
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
Keywords
Haematococcus pluvialis, astaxanthin esters, chloroplasts, enzyme localization, phytoene desaturase, carotenoid biosynthesis, immunogold labeling
MeSH terms
Chlorophyta, Antioxidants, Cell Compartmentation, Cytoplasm, Diphenylamine, Industrial Microbiology, Oxygenases, Pyridazines, Plastids, beta Carotene, Xanthophylls

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