Production of canthaxanthin by phaffia

摘要

Disclosed is a process for producing canthaxanthin and echinenone which comprises cultivating a recombinant microorganism which is expressing a beta-casotene ketolase gene and belonging to the genus Xanthophyllomyces (Phaffia) in an aqueous nutrient medium under aerobic conditions, and isolating the resulted carotenoids from the cells of said recombinant microorganism or from the cultured broth.