Biosynthese von Carotinoiden bei Chlorella

Abstract

In an earlier publication some mutants of Chlorella vulgaris were described, which show blocks in the synthetic pathway of chlorophylls and carotenoids. There appear instead of the normal carotenoids of Chlorella several higher saturated carotenes in the mutants. The experiments were continued with the mutant 5/520. The mixture of unusual carotenes synthesized by the dark grown mutant 5/520 mainly contains phytoene, phytofluene, ζ-carotene, protetrahydrolycopene and prolycopene. When the mutant 5,520 is cultivated in darkness, blue and red light cause the fonnation of chlorophylls and the normal Chlorella carotenoids. Only in blue light trans-tetrahydrolycopene and trans-lycopene are appearing in the polyene mixture of the mutant. When the trans-carotenes are formed, protetrahydrolycopene and prolycopene disappear. This may indicate the isomerisation by blue light of the poly-cis-carotenes (protetrahydrolycopene and prolycopene). Protetrahydrolycopene, prolycopene and the corresponding all-trans-carotenes were identified by their chromatographic behaviour, their absorption spectra and by iodine catalized isomerisation.