Analysis of canthaxanthin and related pigments from Gordonia jacobaea mutants

A collection of 43 mutant strains of the bacterium Gordonia jacobaea was ob tained by means of ethyl methanesulfonate treatment, and the strains were s elected for their different pigmentation with respect to the wild-type stra in. None of the mutants showed auxotrophy. They all showed goad genetic sta bility and a growth rate similar to that of the parental strain. Canthaxant hin and other carotenoids from these mutants were extracted with acetone an d ethanol and separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). T hese HPLC analyses, together with spectrophotometric detection at 480 nm, r evealed variations in the pigment contents of the different mutant strains.