Production, Isolation, and Characterisation of Carotenoids from Engineered Rhodothermus marinus

Sammanfattning

Extremophilic bacteria, like Rhodothermus marinus, hold promising potential to be used as non-model cell factories for the production of various metabolites, such as carotenoids or exopolysaccharides, due to their inherent adaptability to extreme environmental conditions. This study explores the production, isolation, and characterisation of carotenoids from an engineered R. marinus strain termed ’TK21’. The anticipated compound produced by said strain is glycosylated lycopene, which is thought to exhibit biosurfactant properties. Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) were used to verify the presence of these metabolites and assess structural variations. Additionally, enzymatic transglycosylation reactions using cyclodextrin glucanotransferase (CGtase) were conducted using the model acceptor substrates piceid and crocin. Results indicate that glycosylated lycopene derivatives were produced, though ionisation challenges in MS detection required methodological optimisation. Enzymatic glycosylation reactions successfully modified piceid and crocin derivatives, suggesting the potential for biosurfactant development.