ARS | Publication request: Carotenoid Metabolism: the Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Beyond

Submitted to: Journal of Integrative Plant Biology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: April 16, 2008
Publication Date: July 15, 2008
Citation: Li, L., Lu, S. 2008. Carotenoid Metabolism: the Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Beyond. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology. 50:778-785.

Technical Abstract: Carotenoids are indispensable to plants and play a critical role in human nutrition and health. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of carotenoid metabolism in plants. The metabolic pathway has been extensively studied, and the genes encoding nearly all of the biosynthetic enzymes have been isolated and characterized from different organisms. In recent years, there are an increasing body of work on the signaling pathway and plastid development, which might provide global control of carotenoid biosynthesis and accumulation. Here we will highlight recent progress on the biosynthesis, regulation, and metabolic engineering of carotenoids in plants, as well as the future research towards elucidating the regulatory mechanisms and metabolic network that control carotenoid metabolism.