Numerous clinical investigations have strongly indicated that high dietary intake of carotenoids and related compounds can reduce the incidence and/or reverse the symptoms of certain types of cancer. If these studies continue to be confirmed, carotenoids may increasingly be considered valuable food additives, as well as chemotherapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Furthermore, since many carotenoid compounds possess high tinctorial properties, they offer a potential use as replacements for synthetically produced food, drug and cosmetic dyes. To date, the major sources of carotenoids have been carotenogenic plants, algae and fungi and organic synthesis. Biological sources have, thus far, shown themselves to be inefficient and uneconomical production systems, while organic synthesis is limited by stereochemical considerations leading to high production costs. In contrast, AFB, Inc. has successfully isolated a fast growing bacterial species which produces a significant quantity of natural carotenoid. It is felt that through continued genetic techniques, this organism can be induced to efficiently and economically produce commercial quantities of several natural carotenoid compounds. As a first step in the endeavor to increase production, the preferred precursors and pathway intermediates utilized for carotenoid formation in this organism will need to be elucidated. Also, the association between organism growth and pigment formation will be investigated. In Phase II, the genetics of carotenoid formation will be studied. Compatible plasmids will be isolated in preparation for recombination experiments leading to further xanthophyll production and the production of other carotenoid compounds.
