Lycopene epsilon-cyclase explained

Lycopene ε-cyclase
Ec Number:	5.5.1.18

Lycopene ε-cyclase (CrtL-e, LCYe) is an enzyme with systematic name carotenoid psi-end group lyase (decyclizing).^{[1] [2]} This enzyme catalyses the following chemical reaction

carotenoid psi-end group

\rightleftharpoons carotenoid epsilon-end group

The carotenoid lycopene has the psi-end group at both ends.

Notes and References

1. Cunningham FX, Gantt E . One ring or two? Determination of ring number in carotenoids by lycopene epsilon-cyclases . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America . 98 . 5 . 2905–10 . February 2001 . 11226339 . 30238 . 10.1073/pnas.051618398 . free .
2. Stickforth P, Steiger S, Hess WR, Sandmann G . A novel type of lycopene epsilon-cyclase in the marine cyanobacterium Prochlorococcus marinus MED4 . Archives of Microbiology . 179 . 6 . 409–15 . June 2003 . 12712234 . 10.1007/s00203-003-0545-4 . 35630901 .