Melanin and novel melanin precursors from Aeromonas media

Many bacteria produce reddish brown to black pigments and some of these hav e been characterised. This report describes the isolation and characterisat ion of a diffusible brown melanin-like pigment from the bacterium Aeromonas media. Physicochemical testing suggested that the pigment is a true melani n. New butanol-soluble yellow, red and brown pigments were isolated from th e A. media strain under reducing conditions during melanogenesis and these pigments were shown to be unstable precursors of the polymeric brown melani n product. (C) 1998 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Publi shed by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.