Biosynthesis of spheroidene and hydroxyspheroidene in Rhodopseudomonas species: experiments with nicotine as inhibitor.

Neurosporene replaces spheroidene and hydroxyspheroidene as the main carotenoid in Rhodopseudomonas spheroides and Rhodopseudomonas gelatinosa grown in the presence of nicotine. On removal of the nicotine, spheroidene and hydroxyspheroidene are formed at the expense of the accumulated neurosporene. This shows that nicotine inhibits introduction of the C-1 tertiary hydroxyl groups, and supports the postulated pathway neurosporene-->spheroidene-->hydroxyspheroidene.