Biocurious

/ a biophysics blog

Molecule of the Month: Carotenoid Oxygenase

Posted 16 June 2005 by PhilipJ under

“Eat your carrots or you’ll go blind! The biochemical reason for this childhood warning is that we need retinal, vitamin A, to form the pigment that absorbs light in our eyes. Unfortunately, our cells cannot make it for themselves, so we have to obtain it in our diet. We typically get our daily dose of vitamin A in two different ways. Retinal, or molecules similar to it, may be obtained directly when we eat meat. Alternatively, we can eat molecules that are easily transformed into retinal. This is where the carrots enter the story. They are full of beta-carotene, which our cells break in half to form two molecules of retinal.”

Read the rest at the Protein Data Bank, here.

  

  1. PhilipJ    19 June 05    #
    It seems as though David Goodsell updates these on his personal site mid-month, but since I just posted this one I’ll wait for a week or two before posting another Molecule of the Month!
  2. Susan Penney    19 June 05    #
    Yo dudes. This is some great molecule. Keep ‘em coming! :D
  3. Maria Thistle    20 June 05    #
    Hi guys!!! nice to see this :) takes me back to lots of wasted time in the basement of the CP building… long time no chat, phil,.. hope everythings going well. see you ;)

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