CAROTENOIDS 



sarcinene (see p. 1 19), and one probably a-bacteriopurpurin. " ^ Petter ^ " 

 claimed that a- and (i-bacteriopurpurin occurred in B. halobium, but 

 Lederer ^ ^ found only one form (a-) in his cultures of the same organ- 

 ism. Bacteriopurpurin is probably demethylated rhodoviolascin, a 

 pigment to be discussed shortly (see p. 121). B. mycoides contains a 

 carotenoid identical with rhodopin^^ (see p. 121). F. esteroaromaticum, 

 F. suaveoleus, and F. fecale all contain one xanthophyllic carotenoid, 

 this is identical in the three organisms and is probably unique. Similarly 

 F. sulphureum contains a specific carotenoid, this time a hydrocarbon ; 

 recent work, however, suggests that it may be either neurosporene or 

 ^-carotene (see p. 26). Cellulomonas flavigena produces two xanthophylls 

 probably identical with those elaborated by S. lutea. ^ ^ 



Enterobacteriaceae 



Two members of this family have been examined ; spectroscopic 

 measurements indicate that Erwinia lathyri and E. ananas contain 

 single and distinct carotenoids. ^ ^ 



Bacillaceae 



^-carotene and -^-carotene have been detected in B. lomhardo- 

 pellegrini and B. grasberger ; the latter organism also probably contains 

 lycopene. ^ ^ 



Actinomycetales 



Mycobacteriaceae. In this group, apart from leprotene, a dehydro- 

 [3-carotene devoid of vitamin A activity 90-92 isolated from Mycobact. 

 phlei and M. leprae^ no specific carotenoids had been reported up to 

 1950. Very recently, however, Turian^^'^^ has obtained an acidic 

 carotenoid from Mycobact. phlei which has properties similar to astaxan- 

 thin but with an absorption band with a maximum at a much lower 

 wavelength than astaxanthin (see Table 19). Turian considers that 

 this is the pigment that Ingraham and Steenbock'^ in their early 

 investigation took to be a quinone similar to phthiocol ; he proposes 

 the name chrysophlein for this new pigment. Goodwin ^^ in a pre- 

 liminary investigation could find no chrysophlein in his strain of Myco- 

 bact. phlei, but did observe the presence of a pigment which had pro- 

 perties somewhat similar to that of chrysophlein in a culture kindly 

 supplied by Turian. Goodwin also found phytofluene in Mycobact. 

 phlei. ^ ^ (3 -carotene has been detected in Corynebact. carotenii ^ ^ and 

 M. lacticola ^ ^ and p-carotene and y-carotene in M. phlei. ' s, s 0, 8 9 

 Xanthophylls are rare but M. phlei may contain lutein (xanthophyll), 



120 



