OCCURRENCE OF 9'Z-BETA-ECHINENONE IN THE SEA-URCHIN PSEUDOCENTROTUS-DEPRESSUS

beta-Echinenone is a major carotenoid in the gonad of sea urchins and may play an important role in reproduction and embryonic development. We reinvestigated beta-echinenone occurrence in the gonad, viscera, te st, and spine of the sea urchin Pseudocentrotus depressus. It was foun d that beta-echinenone fraction consisted of arl-E and 9'Z-beta-echine none. The highest abundance of 9'Z-beta-echinenone (76.0-78.2% of the total beta-echinenone fraction) was observed in the ovary and testis o f the sea urchin. In both females and. males, all-E-beta-echinenone pr edominated in the viscera (63.6-75.9%), unlike the 9'Z-beta-echinenone , and it was also present in the test and spine (41.3-64.9%). It shoul d be made clear that the work suggests that the Z-carotenoid may have a specific function in the sea urchin, possibly related to reproductio n. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.