# US 8,569,014 B2 · Microorganism and method for producing canthaxanthin

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- Number: US 8,569,014 B2
- Document ID: US8569014B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/206,999
- Filed: 2011-08-10
- Published: 2012-02-09
- Granted: 2013-10-29
- Earliest claimed: 2005-12-06
- Assignees: Tosoh Corporation
- Applicants: Toru Tanaka; Teruhiko Ide
- Inventors: Toru Tanaka; Teruhiko Ide
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569014B2

## CPC

- C12N 1/205: Bacterial isolates
- C12P 23/00: Preparation of compounds containing a cyclohexene ring having an unsaturated side chain containing at least ten carbon atoms bound by conjugated double bonds, e.g. carotenes (containing heterorings C12P17/00)
- C12R 2001/01: Bacteria or Actinomycetales {; using bacteria or Actinomycetales}
- C12N: MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA (microbiological testing media C12Q1/00)
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C12R: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES C12C - C12Q, RELATING TO MICROORGANISMS

## Abstract

A carotenoid producing bacterium belonging to the genus Paracoccus that selectively produces canthaxanthin so that the amount thereof is not less than 90 percent by weight of the total amount of produced carotenoids including β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, echinenone, canthaxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, 3′-hydroxyechinenone, zeaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, adonixanthin, and astaxanthin. A method for producing canthaxanthin by culturing the above bacterium, and then collecting carotenoids from bacterial cells or a culture solution after the culturing.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An isolated or purified mutant bacterium that produces canthaxanthin, wherein said mutant is produced by introducing mutation into a crtZ gene of an astaxanthin synthesizing bacterium, and said mutation inhibits the activity of the β-carotene hydroxylase compared to the β-carotene hydroxylase produced by the not mutated astaxanthin synthesizing bacterium; wherein the astaxanthin synthesizing bacterium is Paracoccus sp. strain TSTT052.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The isolated or purified mutant bacterium of claim 1, wherein said astaxanthin synthesizing bacterium has resistance against a carotenoid metabolic analogue and thus has a higher growth ability when carotenoids are accumulated in cells compared to a parent astaxanthin synthesizing bacterium without resistance.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The isolated or purified mutant bacterium of claim 2, wherein said carotenoid metabolic analogue is at least one of α-ionone or β-ionone.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The isolated or purified mutant bacterium of claim 1 which produces an amount of canthaxanthin that is not less than 90 percent by weight of the total amount of carotenoids produced including β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, echinenone, canthaxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, 3′-hydroxyechinenone, zeaxanthin, phoenicoxanthin, adonixanthin, and astaxanthin.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method for producing a carotenoid, comprising:
culturing the bacterium of claim 1 in a culture medium, and then
collecting or recovering the carotenoid from bacterial cells or from the culture solution.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method for producing a carotenoid according to claim 5, wherein the carotenoid comprises canthaxanthin.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6, further comprising recovering canthaxanthin.