Random mutagenesis and overexpression of rhodopin-3,4-desaturase allows the production of highly conjugated carotenoids in Rhodospirillum rubrum.

The crtD gene of the purple bacterium Rhodospirillum rubrum, encoding rhodopin desaturase, was cloned into a broad-host range expression plasmid (pRKCAG53) and transferred to the R. rubrum crtD(-) mutant, ST4, which restored the wild-type phenotype and produced the carotenoid spirilloxanthin. pRKCAG53 was randomly mutated in an Escherichia coli mutator strain and then transferred to ST4 for selection of non-wild-type phenotypes. Strains containing the mutated expression plasmid exhibited two coloured phenotypes: a "brown" phenotype, corresponding to 3,4,3',4'-tetrahydrospirilloxanthin, arising from plasmids containing an inactivated crtD gene, and secondly, a "dark pink" phenotype. Absorption and mass spectra and HPLC analysis obtained from hexane extracts of brown mutants, confirmed the carotenoid assignment above. DNA sequence analysis of the crtD genes from the brown transconjugants showed frameshifts at the extreme C-terminus, suggesting that this domain forms part of the active site. Spectral analysis of the dark pink strains showed an additional, non-natural double bond formed at the carotenoid end, yielding the asymmetric carotenoids, 3,4,3',4'-tetradehydrorhodopin - and 3',4'-didehydroanhydrorhodovibrin, each containing 14 conjugated double bonds. For only two dark pink strains, was a mutation in crtD detected, in both cases at the N-terminus of CrtD. Otherwise, the higher conjugation was ascribed to an elevated plasmid copy number.