Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2026

A Micropatterning Assay for Measuring Cell Chirality
Published on: March 10, 2022
α-Carotene and its derivatives have a sole chirality in phototrophic organisms?
Shinichi Takaichi1, Akio Murakami, Mari Mochimaru
1Department of Biology, Nippon Medical School, Nakahara, Kawasaki, Japan. takaichi@nms.ac.jp
Abstract:
Carotenoids in eukaryotic phototrophic organisms can be classified into two groups; β-carotene and its derivatives, and α-carotene and its derivatives. We re-examined distribution of α-carotene and its derivatives among various taxa of aquatic algae (17 classes) and land plants. α-carotene and its derivatives were found from Rhodophyceae (macrophytic type), Cryptophyceae, Euglenophyceae, Chlorarachniophyceae, Prasinophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Ulvophyceae, Charophyceae, and land plants, while they could not be detected from Glaucophyceae, Rhodophyceae (unicellular type), Chryosophyceae, Raphidophyceae, Bacillariophyceae, Phaeophyceae, Xanthophyceae, Eustigmatophyceae, Haptophyceae, and Dinophyceae. We also analyzed the chirality of α-carotene and/or its derivatives, such as lutein and siphonaxanthin, and found all of them had only (6'R)-type, not (6'S)-type.
Related Concept Videos
Chirality
Chiral objects exhibit a sense of handedness when they interact with another chiral object. For example, our left foot can only fit in the left shoe and not in the right shoe. Achiral objects — objects that have...
Molecules with Multiple Chiral Centers
Prochirality
Chirality in Nature
Channel Rhodopsins
Rhodopsins belong to the family of cell surface proteins called G-protein coupled receptors,...
Photochemical Electrocyclic Reactions: Stereochemistry
Selection Rules: Photochemical Activation

