Dietary 9-cis-β,β-carotene fails to rescue vision in mouse models of leber congenital amaurosis.

ABSTRACT: Synthetic 9-cis-stereoisomers of vitamin A (all-trans-retinol) are especially promising agents for the fight against blinding diseases. Several studies suggested that 9-cis-β,β-carotene (9-cis-BC), a natural and abundant β-carotene isomer in the diet, could be the precursor of 9-cis-retinoids and thus could have therapeutic applications. Here we showed that 9-cis-BC is metabolized both in vitro and in vivo by two types of mouse carotenoid oxygenases, β,β-Carotene monooxygenase 1 (BCMO1), and β,β-carotene dioxygenase 2 (BCDO2). In the symmetric oxidative cleavage reaction at C15,C15' position by BCMO1, part of the 9-cis-double bond was isomerized to the all-trans-stereoisomer, yielding all-trans-retinal and 9-cis-retinal in a molar ratio of 3:1. The asymmetric cleaving enzyme BCDO2 preferen

SUBMITTER: Maeda T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3198919 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature