title: Carotenoids of an Antarctic psychrotolerant bacterium, Sphingobacterium antarcticus, and a mesophilic bacterium, Sphingobacterium multivorum.
abstract: The major carotenoid pigments of an Antarctic psychrotolerant bacterium, Sphingobacterium antarcticus, and a mesophilic bacterium, Sphingobacterium multivorum, were identified as zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin, and beta-carotene. Analysis was based on ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, and reversed-phase HPLC. Photoacoustic spectroscopy of intact bacterial cells revealed that the bulk of the pigments in S. antarcticus and S. multivorum was associated with the cell membrane. In vitro studies with synthetic membranes of phosphatidylcholine demonstrated that the major pigment was bound to the membranes and decreased their fluidity. The relative amounts of polar pigments were higher in cells grown at 5 degrees C than in cells grown at 25 degrees C. In the mesophilic strain, the synthesis of polar carotenoids was quantitatively less than that of the psychrotolerant strain.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Jagannadham
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chattopadhyay
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Subbalakshmi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vairamani
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Narayanan
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shivaji
mesh_terms: D000864:Antarctic Regions; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008560:Membrane Fluidity; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D013056:Spectrophotometry, Ultraviolet; D013057:Spectrum Analysis / Q000379:methods; D013696:Temperature; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005227:Fatty Acids; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids