Neoxanthin structures

Physiologically, violaxanthin is an important component of the xanthophyU cycle a high light stress-induced de-epoxidation of the violaxanthin pool to the more photoprotective zeaxanthin is mediated by violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE). Violaxanthin and neoxanthin, an enzymatically (NXS)-produced structural isomer, are the precursors for the abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthetic pathway (Figure 5.3.1, Pathway 4 and Figure 5.3.2). In non-photosynthetic tissues, namely ripe bell peppers, antheraxanthin and violaxanthin are precursors to the red pigments, capsanthin and capsorubin, respectively (Figure 5.3.3B). 

The structure of the major trimeric LHCII complex has been recently obtained at 2.72 A (Figure 7.3) (Liu et al., 2004). It was revealed that each 25kDa protein monomer contains three transmembrane and three amphiphilic a-helixes. In addition, each monomer binds 14 chlorophyll (8 Chi a and 6 Chi b) and 4 xanthophyll molecules 1 neoxanthin, 2 luteins, and 1 violaxanthin. The first three xanthophylls are situated close to the integral helixes and are tightly bound to some amino acids by hydrogen bonds to hydroxyl oxygen atoms and van der Waals interactions to chlorophylls, and hydrophobic amino acids such as tryptophan and phenylalanine. 

Neoxanthin and the two lutein molecules have close associations with three transmembrane helixes, A, B, and C, forming three chlorophyll-xanthophyll-protein domains (Figure 7.5). Considering the structure of LHCII complex in terms of domains is useful for understanding how the antenna system works, and the functions of the different xanthophylls. Biochemical evidence suggests that these xanthophylls have a much stronger affinity of binding to LHCII in comparison to violaxanthin... 

FIGURE 7.5 Structural domains of LHCII xanthophylls. Aromatic amino acids tyrosine in the neoxanthin domain and tryptophan and phenylalanine in the violaxanthin domain are labeled as Y, W, and F, respectively. 

A close analysis of the trimers order in the crystal revealed that the exposed part of neoxanthin molecule is completely free from interactions with any protein or pigment components (Pascal et al., 2005). In addition, an examination of the neoxanthin configuration, taken from the structure of LHCII, points toward strong distortion of the d.v-end of the molecule (Figure 7.9). This fact suggests that the twist most likely occurs within the protein interior, implying that some movement in the LHCII monomer must take place during the transition into dissipative state. Apparently, this movement affects not only lutein 1, as previously discussed, but also neoxanthin. 

Burbidge, A., T. Grieve et al. (1997). Structure and expression of a cDNA encoding a putative neoxanthin cleavage enzyme (NCE), isolated from a wilt-related tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) library. J. Exp. Bot. 48(317) 2111-2112. 

Structures of major carotenoids /3-carotene, lutein, violaxanthin, and neoxanthin. 

Neoxanthin, a precursor of the plant hormone abscisic acid, is an allenic xantho-phyll recognized as the last product of carotenoid synthesis in green plants. A cDNA for neoxanthin synthase (NSY) was isolated from tomato cv. Philippino using a molecular approach based on the mechanistic and structural similarities of NSY to two other closely related carotenogenic enzymes, lycopene cyclase (LCY) and capsanthin-capsorubin synthase (CCS) (Bouvier et al., 2000). 

A survey10 of several dinoflagellates has revealed the presence of some interesting new carotenoids in addition to the main carotenoid peridinin [3 -acetoxy-5,6-epoxy-3,5 -dihydroxy-6, 7 -didehydro-5,6,5, 6 -tetrahydro-12, 13, 20 -trinor-/3,/ -caroten-19,11-olide (19)]. Pyrrhoxanthin was assigned the trinor structure 3 -acetoxy-5,6-epoxy-3-hydroxy-7, 8 -didehydro-5,6-dihydro-12, 13, 20 -trinor-/3,/3-caroten-19,11-olide (20) from a consideration of its spectroscopic properties and by chemical correlation with peridinin, and dinoxanthin was shown to be an acetate of neoxanthin, i.e. 3 -acetoxy-5,6-epoxy-6, 7 -didehydro-5,6,5, 6 -tetrahydro-/3,j8-carotene-3,5 -diol (11). Small amounts were also obtained of pyrrhoxanthinol and peridininol which were shown to be the deacetylated analogues (21) and (22) of pyrrhoxanthin and peridinin respectively. 

The majority of carotenoids tested in this study increased the rhodamine accumulation of the Colo 320 MDR/MRP human colon cancer cells by the inhibition of the MDR1-mediated efflux pump activity. The cell size and the intracellular or sub cellular structures of carotenoid-treated cells were not modified during the short period of the flow cytometric experiments. The mean fluorescence and the shift of the fluorescence peak increased to various extents in the presence of carotenoids. The most active compounds were antheraxanthin, violeoxanthin, apple peel phytox-anthin, lutein and violaxanthin, while the luteoxanthin, neoxanthin and /f-cryploxanlhin were only moderate in their inhibition of the efflux pump (Tables 7, 8). 

Fig. 8A.4 Grape carotenoid general structure, neoxanthine and the chemical bonds cleaved by Vitis vinifera Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase to biosynthesize the corresponding primary products of cleavage (Cl3 norisoprenoids)...

The defensive excretion of the grasshopper Romalea microptera contains the allenic ketone (10). This structure is clearly related to neoxanthin (57). Racemic samples of (10) were synthesised by two routes (Scheme 5) and, although there were some differences between the two products, their n.m.r. spectra show that they belong to the natural series and that they are clearly different from the photochemically synthesised isomer (3-OH, 90, R = Ac). The stereochemistry of the synthetic racemate was shown by X-ray crystallography to be the same as an optically active sample derived from the degradation of fucoxanthin. The absolute stereochemistry of the latter sample presumably also applies to the grasshopper ketone itself. 

An atomic resolution model of the plant lightharvesting complex LHC-II has been published (Kiihlbrandt, 1994 Ktihlbrandt et al., 1994 Hunter et al., 1994b). Two xanthophyll molecules are located at the eenter of the complex and were identified as lutein based on the fact that this pigment is the most abundant. They apparently have a structural role in addition to their triplet quenching ability (Plumley and Schmidt, 1987 Paulsen et al., 1990 Heinze et al., 1997). The main xanthophylls are lutein, neoxanthin, and violaxanthin (Siefermann-Harms, 1985, 1990a). Time-resolved optical spectroscopy showed that at least two spectroscopically distinct xanthophylls participate in triplet quenching, apparently lutein and violaxanthin (Peterman et al., 1995, 1997). 

---