Rhodoxanthin synthase from honeysuckle; a membrane diiron enzyme catalyzes the multistep conversation of β-carotene to rhodoxanthin.

Rhodoxanthin is a vibrant red carotenoid found across the plant kingdom and in certain birds and fish. It is a member of the atypical retro class of carotenoids, which contain an additional double bond and a concerted shift of the conjugated double bonds relative to the more widely occurring carotenoid pigments, and whose biosynthetic origins have long remained elusive. Here, we identify LHRS ( hydroxylase rhodoxanthin synthase), a variant β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH)-type integral membrane diiron enzyme that mediates the conversion of β-carotene into rhodoxanthin. We identify residues that are critical to rhodoxanthin formation by LHRS. Substitution of only three residues converts a typical BCH into a multifunctional enzyme that mediates a multistep pathway from β-carotene to rhodoxanthin via a series of distinct oxidation steps in which the product of each step becomes the substrate for the next catalytic cycle. We propose a biosynthetic pathway from β-carotene to rhodoxanthin.