Department of Biology, Nippon Medical School, Kosugi-cho, Nakahara, Kawasaki 211-0063, Japan.
Mar Drugs. 2011;9(6):1101-1118. doi: 10.3390/md9061101. Epub 2011 Jun 15.
For photosynthesis, phototrophic organisms necessarily synthesize not only chlorophylls but also carotenoids. Many kinds of carotenoids are found in algae and, recently, taxonomic studies of algae have been developed. In this review, the relationship between the distribution of carotenoids and the phylogeny of oxygenic phototrophs in sea and fresh water, including cyanobacteria, red algae, brown algae and green algae, is summarized. These phototrophs contain division- or class-specific carotenoids, such as fucoxanthin, peridinin and siphonaxanthin. The distribution of α-carotene and its derivatives, such as lutein, loroxanthin and siphonaxanthin, are limited to divisions of Rhodophyta (macrophytic type), Cryptophyta, Euglenophyta, Chlorarachniophyta and Chlorophyta. In addition, carotenogenesis pathways are discussed based on the chemical structures of carotenoids and known characteristics of carotenogenesis enzymes in other organisms; genes and enzymes for carotenogenesis in algae are not yet known. Most carotenoids bind to membrane-bound pigment-protein complexes, such as reaction center, light-harvesting and cytochrome b(6)f complexes. Water-soluble peridinin-chlorophyll a-protein (PCP) and orange carotenoid protein (OCP) are also established. Some functions of carotenoids in photosynthesis are also briefly summarized.
对于光合作用来说，光能合成生物不仅必然合成叶绿素，还合成类胡萝卜素。藻类中存在许多种类的类胡萝卜素，最近藻类的分类学研究也取得了进展。在这篇综述中，总结了海水中和淡水中产氧光合作用生物（包括蓝藻、红藻、褐藻和绿藻）中类胡萝卜素的分布与系统发育的关系。这些光合生物含有特定于部门或类别的类胡萝卜素，如岩藻黄素、甲藻黄素和硅甲藻黄素。α-胡萝卜素及其衍生物，如叶黄素、洛罗黄素和硅甲藻黄素的分布仅限于红藻门（大型类型）、隐藻门、眼虫藻门、绿藻门和叶绿素门。此外，根据类胡萝卜素的化学结构和其他生物中类胡萝卜素生物合成酶的已知特性讨论了类胡萝卜素生物合成途径；藻类中类胡萝卜素生物合成的基因和酶尚不清楚。大多数类胡萝卜素与膜结合的色素蛋白复合物结合，如反应中心、光捕获和细胞色素 b(6)f 复合物。还建立了水溶性的甲藻黄素-叶绿素 a 蛋白（PCP）和橙色类胡萝卜素蛋白（OCP）。简要总结了类胡萝卜素在光合作用中的一些功能。
