Abstract
ONE of the Chlorella mutants described by Claes (strain 5/520)1 synthesizes in the dark certain poly-cis-isomers, which are described in the literature as protetrahydrolycopene2 and prolycopene3. In the algal cells the stereoconfiguration is sensitive to light. If oxygen is present, the procarotenes are isomerized in blue but not in red light, yielding the trans-forms in the cells. In this case light absorbed by the carotenes is presumed to be responsible for their isomerization.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Claes, H., Z. Naturforsch., 11 b, 260 (1956); 12 b, 401 (1957).
Trombly, H. H., and Porter, J. W., Arch. Biochem., 43, 443 (1953).
Zechmeister, L., Le Rosen, A., Schroeder, W. A., Polgar, A., and Pauling, L., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 65, 1940 (1943).
Claes, H., Z. Naturforsch., 13 b, 222 (1958).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
CLAES, H., NAKAYAMA, T. Isomerization of Poly-cis-carotenes by Chlorophyll in vivo and in vitro . Nature 183, 1053 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1038/1831053a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1831053a0
This article is cited by
-
Light-dependent switch from formation of poly-cis carotenes to all-trans carotenoids in the Scenedesmus mutant C-6D
Archives of Microbiology (1991)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.