1. cDNAs for the synthesis of cyclic carotenoids in petals of Gentiana lutea and their regulation during flower development
- Author
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Hiroyuki Koiwa, Masashiro Nishihara, Gerhard Sandmann, Saburo Yamamura, and Changfu Zhu
- Subjects
Lutein ,DNA, Complementary ,Zeaxanthin epoxidase ,Biophysics ,Flowers ,Biochemistry ,Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic ,Mixed Function Oxygenases ,chemistry.chemical_compound ,Lycopene ,Structural Biology ,Genetics ,Escherichia coli ,Gentiana ,Intramolecular Lyases ,Carotenoid ,Gene Library ,Regulation of gene expression ,chemistry.chemical_classification ,biology ,cDNA library ,Genetic Complementation Test ,food and beverages ,Carotenoids ,Complementation ,chemistry ,biology.protein ,Petal ,Oxidoreductases - Abstract
cDNAs encoding lycopene epsilon -cyclase, lycopene beta-cyclase, beta-carotene hydroxylase and zeaxanthin epoxidase were isolated from a Gentiana lutea petal cDNA library. The function of all cDNAs was analyzed by complementation in Escherichia coli. Transcript levels during different stages of flower development of G. lutea were determined and compared to the carotenoid composition. Expression of all genes increased by a factor of up to 2, with the exception of the lycopene epsilon -cyclase gene. The transcript amount of the latter was strongly decreased. These results indicate that during flower development, carotenoid formation is enhanced. Moreover, metabolites are shifted away from the biosynthetic branch to lutein and are channeled into beta-carotene and derivatives.
- Published
- 2003