Carotenoproteins from crustacyanin

Astaxanthin (17) is not covalently bound in carotenoproteins and may be extracted from crustacyanin, providing a colourless apoprotein. The blue colour may be reconstituted with a range of conjugated ketocarotenoids [88], All optical isomers (3i ,3 i 3S,3 S and the meso... 

Milicua JCG, Garate AM, Barbon PG, Gomez R (1986) Relatedness between a-crustacyanin from the lobster Homarus americanus and the blue carotenoprotein from the crayfish Procambrus clarkii. Comp Biochem Physiol 85B 621-626... 

Conjugated keto-carotenoids are complexed stoichiometrically with a simple protein in true carotenoproteins. Such carotenoproteins are encountered particularly in external tissues in the carapace of Crustacea and the skin of Echinodermata. The blue crustacyanin from lobster carapace is the best studied carotenoprotein, as described in several reviews [8,81,82], Detailed isolations methods are given [83], Our group has been involved in early studies on crustacyanin [84], asteriarubin [85], alloporin [86] and linckia-cyanin [87]. 

Carotenoid-Protein Complexes. The partial characterization of an astaxanthin- or zeaxanthin-containing carotenoprotein (mol. wt. >30000) from hydrocorals has been reported. Other papers present a spectroscopic characterization of the lobster pigment a-crustacyanin and report effects of changes in pH and ionic strength on its spectroscopic properties. ... 

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