Patent ID: 8883969

Claim:
A method of preparing a carotenoid comprising the steps of: culturing a cell transformed with a DNA chain having a DNA sequence selected from the group consisting of the following (a) to (f) and having a DNA sequence described in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, or SEQ ID NO: 21 or a cell transformed with a vector having a DNA sequence selected from the group consisting of the following (a) to (f) in an appropriate culture condition and having a DNA sequence described in SEQ ID NO: 19, SEQ ID NO: 20, or SEQ ID NO: 21, and isolating the carotenoid from the cell or a culture medium: (a) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of an enzyme that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 and converts a methylene group at 4 position in β-ionone ring into a keto group (crtW), described in SEQ ID NO: 2; (b) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of an enzyme that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 and adds one hydroxyl group to a carbon at 3-position of 4-keto-β-ionone ring and/or at 3-position of β-ionone ring (crtZ), described in SEQ ID NO: 3; (c) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of an enzyme that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 and converts lycopene into β-carotene (crtY), described in SEQ ID NO: 4; (d) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of an enzyme that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 and converts phytoene into lycopene (crtI), described in SEQ ID NO: 5; (e) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of prephytoene synthase that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 (crtB), as described in SEQ ID NO: 6; and (f) a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide having an enzymatic activity of geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase that is found in Paracoccus sp. strain MBIC1143 (crtE), as described in SEQ ID NO: 7.