Mayer M P, Beyer P, Kleinig H
Institut für Biologie II, Universität Freiburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Eur J Biochem. 1990 Jul 31;191(2):359-63. doi: 10.1111/j.1432-1033.1990.tb19130.x.
The desaturation of phytoene to zeta-carotene and of zeta-carotene to lycopene employs molecular oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor. 2,3,5,6-Tetramethyl-1,4-benzoquinone (duroquinone) and other artificial quinones are able to replace oxygen, which demonstrates that oxygen does not act in a mixed-function oxygenase-like mechanism at the desaturase itself, but at a spatially separate site. Evidence for additional redox elements mediating between desaturase and oxygen is presented.
八氢番茄红素向ζ-胡萝卜素的去饱和以及ζ-胡萝卜素向番茄红素的去饱和过程中，均以分子氧作为末端电子受体。2,3,5,6-四甲基-1,4-苯醌（杜醌）及其他人工醌类能够替代氧气，这表明氧气并非在去饱和酶自身以类似混合功能加氧酶的机制发挥作用，而是在空间上分离的位点发挥作用。文中还给出了在去饱和酶与氧气之间介导的其他氧化还原元件的证据。
