dehydroretinal and retinol-palmitate

The changes of egg retinoids during the development of Xenopus laevis were investigated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All-trans retinal and 3-dehydroretinal are endogenous in the egg and are distributed to both the eyes and the ventral portion of the larval body. These retinals are converted to all-trans retinyl palmitate and 3-dehydroretinyl palmitate during the development up to stage 46. 11-cis retinal and 3-dehydroretinal can be detected after stage 40 in the eyes but not in the larval ventral portion. It is suggested that retinoids are transported from the larval ventral portion to the eyes after stage 41/42.

Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Diterpenes; Eye; Larva; Ovum; Retina; Retinaldehyde; Retinoids; Retinyl Esters; Time Factors; Vitamin A; Xenopus laevis

Retinoids in the eyes of Xenopus laevis at several developmental stages, were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). At stage 37/38, larval eyes contained mainly all-trans isomers of retinal, 3-dehydroretinal, retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester. Ratios of all-trans 3-dehydroretinal to retinal and of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester were almost 1 at the stage. With the advance of development, the amounts of all-trans retinal and 3-dehydroretinal decreased; however, those of all-trans retinyl ester and 3-dehydroretinyl ester increased. The chromophores of visual pigments, 11-cis retinal and 3-dehydroretinal, were detected at stage 40 (total; 0.2 pmol/eye) and their amounts increased after that stage. The ratio of 11-cis 3-dehydroretinal to retinal was almost 1 at stages 40-42. The ratio became larger after stage 43 and was almost 19 at stage 46. The ratio of all-trans 3-dehydroretinyl ester to retinyl ester, also, increased after stage 42 and reached 11 at stage 46. The mechanism of 11-cis formation during development is discussed in relation to retinoid conversions in the eyes.

Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Diterpenes; Embryo, Nonmammalian; Retina; Retinal Pigments; Retinaldehyde; Retinoids; Retinyl Esters; Vitamin A; Xenopus laevis

HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) was used to analyse retinyl and 3,4-didehydroretinyl compounds in tissue extracts from goldfish and bullfrog tadpoles. Using silica columns (packed with 10-micron mu Porasil or 5-micron Ultrasphere particles) eluted with n-hexane (containing a small amount of dioxane or diethyl ether), the authentic all-trans retinyl and 3,4-didehydroretinyl palmitates, retinal and 3,4-didehydroretinal, retinol and 3,4-didehydroretinol were completely separated. Liver and eye extracts of the goldfish and bullfrog tadpoles had mainly esterified all-trans retinol and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol. In the liver, these vitamin A were conjugated to a number of fatty acids whereas in the eye, principally one fatty acid was used. Moreover, the relative proportions of all-trans retinol and all-trans 3,4-didehydroretinol (obtained by analysing the saponified esters) were significantly different between some of these body compartments.

Topics: Animals; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Diterpenes; Esters; Eye; Goldfish; Larva; Liver; Rana catesbeiana; Retinaldehyde; Retinoids; Retinyl Esters; Vitamin A