The biotechnological potential and design of novel carotenoids by gene combination in Escherichia coli.

Carotenoids are antioxidants with considerable pharmaceutical potential. More than 600 carotenoid structures are known but their availability is limited owing to practical difficulties associated with chemical synthesis and isolation from microorganisms or plant tissue. To overcome some of these problems, heterologous expression of carotenoid genes in Escherichia coli can be used for the synthesis of rare derivatives or even of novel carotenoids. Novel and rare carotenoids can be obtained by combining carotenoid genes from different host species in E. coli.