Abstract
A carotenoid-producing yeast strain, isolated from the sub-arctic, marine copepod Calanus finmarchicus, was identified as Rhodosporidium babjevae (Golubev) according to morphological and biochemical characteristics and phylogenetic inference from the small-subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence. The total carotenoids content varied with cultivation conditions in the range 66–117 μg per g dry weight. The carotenoid pool, here determined for the first time, was dominated by torularhodin and torulene, which collectively constituted 75–91% of total carotenoids under various regimes of growth. β-Carotene varied in the range 5–23%. A high-peptone/low-yeast extract (weight ratio 38:1) marine growth medium favoured the production of torularhodin, the carotenoid at highest oxidation level, with an average of 63% of total carotenoids. In standard yeast medium (YM; ratio 1.7:1), torularhodin averaged 44%, with increased proportions of the carotenes, torulene and β-carotene. The anticipated metabolic precursor γ-carotene (β,ψ-carotene) constituted a minor fraction (≤8%) under all conditions of growth.
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This work has been supported financially by the Norwegian Research Council project 140347/420.
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Sperstad, S., Lutnæs, B.F., Stormo, S.K. et al. Torularhodin and torulene are the major contributors to the carotenoid pool of marine Rhodosporidium babjevae (Golubev). J IND MICROBIOL BIOTECHNOL 33, 269–273 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-005-0065-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-005-0065-0