Characterization and Transcriptomic Analysis of Antarctic Planococcus sp. Mutant with Enhanced Carotenoid Content

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Biotechnology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Carotenoids are vital industrial antioxidants.
• Microbial production offers a sustainable alternative to extraction or synthesis.
• The Antarctic bacterium Planococcus sp. PAMC21323 is a promising candidate for carotenoid biosynthesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the genetic basis of carotenoid biosynthesis in Planococcus sp. PAMC21323.
• To identify and characterize a carotenoid-overproducing mutant.
• To understand the metabolic regulation of carotenoid production.

Main Methods:

• Random mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfonate.
• Colony pigmentation screening and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis.
• Genome mining, homology-based annotation, and comparative RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq).

Main Results:

• A carotenoid-overproducing mutant, R07, was isolated.
• A CrtM-CrtN-CrtP-CrtNc gene cluster was identified, indicating C30 carotenoid synthesis.
• Comparative transcriptomics revealed metabolic flux redirection towards carotenoids in R07.

Conclusions:

• The molecular framework for C30 carotenoid production in Planococcus sp. PAMC21323 is established.
• The R07 mutant is a valuable platform for carotenoid biosynthesis and metabolic engineering.
• This research supports biotechnological applications of extremophiles for antioxidant production.