Premium
105
Astacene is a Major Secondary Carotenoid In The Green ALGA Palmellococcus Miniatus
Author(s) -
Liu G. X.,
Hu Q.,
Sommerfeld M.,
Hu Z. Y.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of phycology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.85
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1529-8817
pISSN - 0022-3646
DOI - 10.1111/j.0022-3646.2003.03906001_105.x
Subject(s) - astaxanthin , carotenoid , biology , pigment , green algae , algae , chloroplast , botany , centrifugation , biochemistry , chemistry , gene , organic chemistry
Astacene (3,3′‐dihydroxy‐2,3,2′,3′‐tetradehydro‐b,b′‐carotene‐b,b‐dione) is a red carotenoid reported in small quantities in some green algae, higher plants, and animals. However, it has been generally believed that astacene is an oxidative artifact of astaxanthin (3,3′‐dihydroxy‐b,b‐carotene‐4,4′‐dione). Astaxanthin is a naturally occurring pigment and a structural analogue of astacene. A recently isolated unicellular green alga, Palmellococcus miniatus , has been found to synthesize and accumulate large quantities of red secondary carotenoids under certain environmental stress conditions. In this study, chromatographic, spectrophotometric and mass spectrometric evidence has been used to confirm that astacene is a natural occurring pigment, which can comprise over 70% of the secondary carotenoids in stressed cells. Electron microscopy revealed that the accumulation of astacene was accompanied by the formation of numerous lipid bodies outside of the chloroplasts. Lipid bodies were isolated from the cells by French pressure cell disruption, followed by sucrose gradient density centrifugation. HPLC analysis indicated that lipid bodies were the sites of astacene accumulation. The possible physiological roles and distribution of this pigment among several groups of green algae will be discussed.