| abstract |
The present invention relates to a method of preparing enantiomerically pure alpha-ionone. The invention further relates to a nucleic acid comprising a sequence that encodes a lycopene epsilon-cyclase (EC), a lycopene epsilon-cyclase (EC), plasmids that encode components of alpha-ionone biosynthesis and a microorganism containing heterologous nucleotide sequences that encode the enzymes geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI), phytoene desaturase/dehydrogenase (crtl), phytoene synthase (crt B) and lycopene epsilon-cyclase (EC) or geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase, isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase (IPI), phytoene desaturase/dehydrogenase (crtl), phytoene synthase (crt B), lycopene epsilon-cyclase (EC) and carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase (CCD1). The invention further relates to a method of producing high-purity epsilon-carotene. |