Sandmann G, Albrecht M, Schnurr G, Knörzer O, Böger P
Biosynthesis Group, Botanical Institute, J.W. Goethe Universität, PO Box 111932, D-60054 Frankfurt, Germany.
Trends Biotechnol. 1999 Jun;17(6):233-7. doi: 10.1016/s0167-7799(99)01307-4.
Carotenoids are antioxidants with considerable pharmaceutical potential. More than 600 carotenoid structures are known but their availability is limited owing to practical difficulties associated with chemical synthesis and isolation from microorganisms or plant tissue. To overcome some of these problems, heterologous expression of carotenoid genes in Escherichia coli can be used for the synthesis of rare derivatives or even of novel carotenoids. Novel and rare carotenoids can be obtained by combining carotenoid genes from different host species in E. coli.
类胡萝卜素是具有巨大药用潜力的抗氧化剂。已知的类胡萝卜素结构超过600种，但由于化学合成以及从微生物或植物组织中分离存在实际困难，其可得性有限。为克服其中一些问题，可利用类胡萝卜素基因在大肠杆菌中的异源表达来合成稀有衍生物甚至新型类胡萝卜素。通过在大肠杆菌中组合来自不同宿主物种的类胡萝卜素基因，可获得新型和稀有类胡萝卜素。
