Carotenogenesis carotene pathway

The Chromatiaceae have either the spirilloxanthin pathway (normal spirilloxanthin, unusual spirilloxanthin and carotenal pathways) or okenone of the okenone pathway except for one species, Tea. halophila, which has both pathways (Tables 1 and4). Even in the same genus, some species have the spirilloxanthin pathway and others have the okenone pathway. Therefore, the carotenogenesis pathways are not well related to the bacteria s classification in the Chromatiaceae. 

In a very recent study in potatoes, inhibition of LCYE accumulation was accomplished by an antisense LcyE driven by the patatin promoter and allowed rechanneling of lycopene toward the P-carotene branch of the pathway to produce up to 14-fold increased levels of P-carotene as well as up to 2.5-fold increased total carotenoids. RNAi and TILLING for manipulation of carotenogenesis have yet to be reported, but these new techniques for suppression of function and generation and selection of allelic diversity are likely to impact future research and production of varieties with enhanced pigment accumulation. 

Carotenes, 1730, 2787, 4019, 4027 Carotenogenesis, 2861, 2869 Carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, 1731 Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCD)7, 3588, 3596... 

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