Analysis of canthaxanthin and related pigments from Gordonia jacobaea mutants

A collection of 43 mutant strains of the bacterium Gordonia jacobaea was obtained by means of ethyl methanesulfonate treatment, and the strains were selected for their different pigmentation with respect to the wild-type strain. None of the mutants showed auxotrophy. They all showed good genetic stability and a growth rate similar to that of the parental strain. Canthaxanthin and other carotenoids from these mutants were extracted with acetone and ethanol and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These HPLC analyses, together with spectrophotometric detection at 480 nm, revealed variations in the pigment contents of the different mutant strains.