Stereochemistry of Formation of the β‐Ring of Lycopene: Biosynthesis of (1R,1′R)‐β,β‐[16,16,16,16′,16′,16′‐2H6]Carotene from [16,16,16,16′,16′,16′‐2H6]Lycopene in Flavobacterium R 1560

Incubation of deuteriated precursors in cultures of Flavobacterium produced specifically deuteriated carotenoids. Analysis of these led to several conclusions: i) Lycopene is a direct precursor of β,β‐carotene. ii) Its terminal Me groups retain their integrity during cyclization: there is a stereospecific folding of the 1,5‐diene. The Me(16,16′) groups of lycopene become the Me(16,16′) of β,β‐carotene. Consequently, the folding must follow the C₂(E,E) mode. iii) Incorporation of deuterium was sufficiently extensive to permit CD measurements on the isolated β,β‐carotene, allowing its centers of chirality to be assigned as (1S,1′S). iv) The same chirality resulted from incorporation of ²H₃]mevalonate into zeaxanthin. The syntheses of specifically deuteriated ²H₃]GPP, ²H₃]FPP, and ²H₃]GG are described.