Carotenoid Composition of Chlorophyll-Carotenoid-Proteins from Radish Chloroplasts

Abstract

The uneven distribution of carotenoids and chlorophylls between several chlorophyll- carotenoid-proteins isolated from radish chloroplasts by SDS-polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis is described. Lutein and neoxanthin are enriched in the light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-protein LHCP3, which exhibits low chlorophyll a/b ratios (1.1-1.3) and high values for the ratio chloro­phyll a/β-carotene (a/c = 60-180). β-carotene is bound not only to the chlorophyll a-protein CPI + CPIa of photosystem I, but also to the chlorophyll a-protein CPa. Both chlorophyll a-proteins are characterized by high values for the ratio a/b and low values for the ratio a/c.