Àkọlé: Biosynthesis ti lycopene ninu awọn eweko eukaryotic ati ninu awọn prokaryotic cyanobacteria jẹ iru, bi awọn enzymu ti o ni ipa. Ṣiṣeto bẹrẹ pẹlu mevalonic acid, eyi ti a yipada si dimethylallyl pyrophosphate. Eyi ni lẹhinna ṣe itọlẹ pẹlu awọn molikula mẹta ti isopentenyl pyrophosphate (isomer ti dimethylallyl pyrophosphate), lati fun 20-carbon geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate. Awọn molikula meji ti ọja yii ni a ṣe itọlẹ ni iṣeto ẹhin-si-ẹyin lati fun 40-carbon phytoene, igbesẹ akọkọ ninu carotenoid biosynthesis. Nipasẹ awọn desaturation pupọ, phytoene ti yipada si lycopene. Awọn ẹgbẹ meji ti o wa ni opin ti lycopene cyclenate le wa ni iyipada si beta-carotene xanthophene, eyiti o le yipada si ọpọlọpọ awọn igbesẹ kemikali.
mevalonic acid