Technologies based on synthetic biology to produce bacterial natural carotenoids depend on information regarding their biosynthesis. Although the biosynthetic pathway of common carotenoids is known, there are carotenoids whose pathways are not completely described. This work aimed to mine the genome of the deep-sea bacterium Erythrobacter citreus LAMA 915, an uncommon bacterium that forms yellow colonies under cultivation. This work further explores the potential application of the carotenoids found and low-cost substrates for bacterial growth. A combined approach of genome mining and untargeted metabolomics analysis was applied. The carotenoid erythroxanthin sulfate was detected in E. citreus LAMA 915 cell extract. A proposal for carotenoid biosynthesis by this bacterium is provided, involving the genes crtBIYZWG. These are responsible for the biosynthesis of carotenoids from the zeaxanthin pathway and their 2,2′-hydroxylated derivatives. E. citreus LAMA 915 extracts showed antioxidant and sun protection effects. Based on the high content of proteases and lipases, it was possible to rationally select substrates for bacterial growth, with residual oil from fish processing the best low-cost substrate selected. This work advances in the understanding of carotenoid biosynthesis and provides a genetic basis that can be further explored as a biotechnological route for carotenoid production.

基于合成生物学生产细菌天然类胡萝卜素的技术依赖于有关其生物合成的信息。虽然常见类胡萝卜素的生物合成途径是已知的，但有些类胡萝卜素的途径尚未完全描述。这项工作旨在挖掘深海细菌Erythrobacter citreus LAMA 915的基因组，这是一种在培养下形成黄色菌落的罕见细菌。这项工作进一步探索了发现的类胡萝卜素和用于细菌生长的低成本底物的潜在应用。应用了基因组挖掘和非靶向代谢组学分析的组合方法。在E. citreus中检测到类胡萝卜素硫酸红黄素LAMA 915 细胞提取物。提供了该细菌合成类胡萝卜素的提议，涉及基因crtBIYZWG。它们负责从玉米黄质途径及其 2,2'-羟基化衍生物生物合成类胡萝卜素。E. citreus LAMA 915 提取物显示出抗氧化和防晒效果。基于蛋白酶和脂肪酶的高含量，可以合理选择细菌生长的底物，其中鱼类加工的残油是最佳的低成本底物。这项工作促进了对类胡萝卜素生物合成的理解，并提供了可以作为类胡萝卜素生产的生物技术途径进一步探索的遗传基础。