Abstract
Abstract Membranes from the blue-green alga Aphanocapsa were employed to study the in vitro conversion of β-carotene into xanthophylls. The hydroxylation of β-carotene to β-cryptoxanthin shows the typical characteristics of a monooxygenase reaction. The cell-free conversion is stimulated by NADPH, dependent on oxygen, and sensitive to KCN as well as to the monooxygenase inhibitors, tetcyclacis and LAB 117682. The presented investigation also indicates that β-carotene is the direct direct carotene precursor of β-cryptoxanthin and echinenone. Furthermore, specific radioactivities determined for all three xanthophylls suggest that 3-hydroxyechinenone is derived from β-cryptoxanthin and not from echninenone.
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