Described herein are devices and methods for using the same to produce carotenoids. The carotenoids produced by the devices and methods disclosed herein do not require the ultra purification that is common in conventional or commercial methods. The devices and methods disclosed herein also enhance one or more physical properties of plants treated with the devices described herein.

The present disclosure discloses a mutant of a lycopene epsilon cyclase (Lcye) gene crucial in a wheat carotenoid synthesis pathway and use thereof. The present disclosure provides the following proteins: (1) a protein obtained by substituting serine at position 253 of an Lcye-D1 protein with phenylalanine; (2) a derived protein that is obtained by subjecting the protein in (1) to substitution and/or deletion and/or addition of one or more amino acid residues and has the same ability as the protein in (1); (3) a protein that has a homology of more than 99%, more than 95%, more than 90%, more than 85%, or more than 80% with the amino acid sequence defined in any one of (1) and (2) and has the same function as the amino acid sequence; and (4) a fusion protein obtained by attaching a tag to N-terminus and/or C-terminus of the protein in any one of (1) to (3). The present disclosure not only verifies the function of an Lcye gene, but also provides a theoretical basis and a germplasm resource for improving the color character of flour and products thereof.

Described herein are devices and methods for enhancing the physiological properties of plants. For example, the devices and methods described herein increase the production of lycopene, which has industrial and economic value. The lycopene produced by the devices and methods does not require the ultra purification that is common in conventional or commercial methods. The devices and methods described herein also enhance the growth rate of plants.

Methods to produce oils with modified profiles of fatty acid, carotenoids and/or terpenoids in microalgal mutants are provided. Microalgal mutants produce the oil containing fatty acids, carotenoids and/or terpenoids of a modified profile with a disruption or ablation of one or more alleles of an endogenous polynucleotide or comprising an exogeneous gene are also provided.

The present invention concerns a method of producing and enantiomerically pure alpha-ionone. Further, the invention concerns a nucleic acid that comprises a sequence that encodes a lycopene-epsilon-cyclase (EC), a lycopene-epsilon-cyclase (EC), plasmids, which encode components of the alpha-ionone biosynthesis and a microorganism that contains heterologous nucleotide sequences which encode the enzymes geranylgeranyl-diphosphate-synthase, isopentenyl-diphosphate-isomerase (IPI), phytoene desaturase-dehydrogenase (crtI), phytoene synthase (crtB), lycopene-epsilon-cyclase (EC) and carotenoid-cleavage-dioxygenase (CCD1). Further, the invention concerns a method of producing highly pure epsilon-carotene.

The present disclosure discloses a mutant of a lycopene epsilon cyclase (Lcye) gene crucial in a wheat carotenoid synthesis pathway and use thereof. The present disclosure provides the following proteins: (1) a protein obtained by substituting serine at position 253 of an Lcye-D1 protein with phenylalanine; (2) a derived protein that is obtained by subjecting the protein in (1) to substitution and/or deletion and/or addition of one or more amino acid residues and has the same ability as the protein in (1); (3) a protein that has a homology of more than 99%, more than 95%, more than 90%, more than 85%, or more than 80% with the amino acid sequence defined in any one of (1) and (2) and has the same function as the amino acid sequence; and (4) a fusion protein obtained by attaching a tag to N-terminus and/or C-terminus of the protein in any one of (1) to (3). The present disclosure not only verifies the function of an Lcye gene, but also provides a theoretical basis and a germplasm resource for improving the color character of flour and products thereof

This invention provides improved biological synthesis of the apocarotenoid α-ionone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The final native step involved in the natural apocarotenoid pathway depends on an endogenous farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPs). From there, heterologous geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (crtE), phytoene synthase (crtB), phytoene desaturase (crtl), lycopene ε-cyclase (LycE) and a Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase (CCD1) are required to complete the synthesis of α-ionone. Lycopene ε-cyclase from lettuce (Lactuca sativa) or modified cyclase from Arabidopsis thaliana was used to overproduce lycopene which was then cleaved by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase from Petunia hybrida (Ph-CCD1).

The present invention relates to a novel violaxanthin-overproducing strain of Chlorella vulgaris and a method of producing violaxanthin therefrom. The inventors have developed a strain that produces violaxanthin at a significantly higher level than a wild-type strain by inducing a random chemical mutation in a Chlorella vulgaris strain to, and then as a result of analysis, confirmed that the strain produces violaxanthin up to 0.41% based on dry weight, which reaches the highest level that is possible to be produced in microalgae. Furthermore, as a method of effectively extracting a carotenoid pigment containing violaxanthin from the strain was established, since the strain and the developed pigment extraction method according to the present invention allow effective production and separation of violaxanthin, the strain is expected to increase commercial applications such as cosmetics, health functional foods and feed.

This invention provides improved biological synthesis of the apocarotenoid α-ionone in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The final native step involved in the natural apocarotenoid pathway depends on an endogenous farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase (FPPs). From there, heterologous geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate synthase (crtE), phytoene synthase (crtB), phytoene desaturase (crtI), lycopene ε-cyclase (LycE) and a Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenase (CCD1) are required to complete the synthesis of α-ionone. Lycopene ε-cyclase from lettuce (Lactuca sativa) or modified cyclase from Arabidopsis thaliana was used to overproduce lycopene which was then cleaved by the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase from Petunia hybrida (Ph-CCD1).

The present invention relates to a novel violaxanthin-overproducing strain of Chlorella vulgaris and a method of producing violaxanthin therefrom. The inventors have developed a strain that produces violaxanthin at a significantly higher level than a wild-type strain by inducing a random chemical mutation in a Chlorella vulgaris strain to, and then as a result of analysis, confirmed that the strain produces violaxanthin up to 0.41% based on dry weight, which reaches the highest level that is possible to be produced in microalgae. Furthermore, as a method of effectively extracting a carotenoid pigment containing violaxanthin from the strain was established, since the strain and the developed pigment extraction method according to the present invention allow effective production and separation of violaxanthin, the strain is expected to increase commercial applications such as cosmetics, health functional foods and feed.