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[25] Photoinduction of carotenoid biosynthesis

1993; Academic Press; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0076-6879(93)14072-q

1557-7988

Javier Ávalos, Eduardo R. Bejarano, Enrique Cerdá‐Olmedo,

Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress

The biosynthesis of carotenoids is almost universally regulated by light. A partial explanation is provided by the role of carotenoids in photosynthesis. Light is a source of information for many organisms that do not use it as a source of energy. Carotenogenesis is one of the aspects of life that are modulated by light in these organisms. In some cases, no carotenoids are made in the dark; most often small amounts of carotenoids are made in the dark, but much more in the light. Light governs other diverse phenomena, such as circadian rhythms, tropisms, taxis, morphogenesis, and biochemical activities. The variable to be measured in photocarotenogenesis is the rate of carotenoid biosynthesis following illumination. If carotenoids are assumed stable, accumulation instead of synthesis can be measured. The validity of this assumption can be tested by a pulse-chase labeling experiment. Simple and reliable carotenoid analyses are essential for progress in this field. Accurate analyses involve the extraction, chromatographic separation, identification, and quantification of individual carotenoids.