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Genus Specific Unusual Carotenoids in Purple Bacteria, Phaeospirillum and Roseospira: Structures and Biosyntheses

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Abstract

Phototrophic bacteria necessarily contain carotenoids for photosynthesis, and a few phototrophic purple bacteria accumulate unusual carotenoids. The carotenoids in the genera Phaeospirillum and Roseospira were identified using spectroscopic methods. All species of the genus Phaeospirillum contained characteristic polar carotenoids in addition to lycopene and hydroxylycopene (rhodopin); hydroxylycopene glucoside, dihydroxylycopene, and its mono- and/or diglucosides. From the structures of these carotenoids, their accumulation was suggested to be due to absence of CrtD (acyclic carotenoid C-3,4 desaturase) and to possession of glucosyltransferase. Species of the genus Roseospira have been reported to have unusual absorption spectra in acetone extract, and they were found to accumulate 3,4-didehydrorhodopin as a major carotenoid. This may be due to low activity of CrtF (acyclic 1-hydroxycarotenoid methyltransferase). The study concludes in identifying genus specific unusual carotenoids, which is probably due to characteristic nature of some carotenogenesis enzymes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Nippon Medical School, 297, Kosugi-cho 2, Nakahara, Kawasaki, 211-0063, Japan

    Shinichi Takaichi

  2. Research Institute for Production Development, 15 Shimogamo Morimoto Cho, Sakyo ku, Kyoto, 606 0805, Japan

    Takashi Maoka

  3. Bacterial Discovery Laboratory, Centre for Environment, JNT University, Hyderabad, 500 085, India

    Ch. Sasikala

  4. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500 046, India

    Ch. V. Ramana

  5. Department of Biology, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Minami-ohsawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo, 192-0397, Japan

    Keizo Shimada

Authors
  1. Shinichi Takaichi
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  2. Takashi Maoka
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  3. Ch. Sasikala
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  4. Ch. V. Ramana
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  5. Keizo Shimada
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Correspondence to Shinichi Takaichi.

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Takaichi, S., Maoka, T., Sasikala, C. et al. Genus Specific Unusual Carotenoids in Purple Bacteria, Phaeospirillum and Roseospira: Structures and Biosyntheses. Curr Microbiol 63, 75–80 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00284-011-9941-1

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