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Carotenoid pigments were extracted from wild-type Corynebacterium poinsettiae ATCC 9682 and from mutants obtained by exposure of a streptomycin resistant strain to ultra violet (UV) irradiation or N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine. Three major pigments isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were characterized by their absorption maxima, partition ratios in light petroleum ether/95 per cent methanol and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). High performance liquid chromatography was used to compare pigments of the wild-type with those of the mutants. Mutants were found which may serve as potential candidates for the study and in depth understanding of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway(s) in this bacterium and related species at the molecular level.

Keywords: Corynebacterium poinsettiae, carotenoid mutants, isolation, characterization, biosynthesis

Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12(2) 2006: 203-210