Filling the Gap in Vitamin A Research

作者：Johannes v. Lintig, Klaus Vogt · 发表于：Journal of Biological Chemistry · 年份：2000 · DOI：10.1074/jbc.275.16.11915 · 被引用次数：455 · 研究领域：Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress、Retinoids in leukemia and cellular processes、Retinal Development and Disorders

Vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids) are essential components in vision; they contribute to pattern formation during development and exert multiple effects on cell differentiation with important clinical implications. It has been known for 50 years that the key step in the formation of vitamin A is the oxidative cleavage of beta-carotene; however, this enzymatic step has resisted molecular analysis. A novel approach enabled us to clone and identify a beta-carotene dioxygenase from Drosophila melanogaster, expressing it into the background of a beta-carotene (provitamin A)-synthesizing and -accumulating Escherichia coli strain. The carotene-cleaving enzyme, identified here for the first time on the molecular level, is the basis of the numerous branches of vitamin A action and links plant and animal carotene metabolism.