Abstract
The genus Nostoc is terrestrial, highly drought-tolerant, and has N2-fixing activity. We previously analyzed carotenoid compositions from the genera Nostoc and Anabaena, and identified functions of carotenogenesis genes. There was diversity in carotenoid compositions, and this is due to presence or absence, and substrate specificities of carotenogenesis genes.
In this study, we extracted pigments from Nostoc commune NIES-24 (=IAM M-13), purified them, and identified each compound with their profiles of C18-HPLC, MS, NMR, and CD: β-carotene 50% (mol%), β-cryptoxanthin 1%, zeaxanthin 2%, caloxanthin 5%, nostoxanthin 11%, echinenone 20%, canthaxanthin 2%, myxol 2'-fucoside 4%, and 2-OH-myxol 2'-fucoside 5%. In this species, many carotenogenesis genes seem to function, considered from the result so many compounds were obtained. This is the second species to possess 2-OH-myxol 2'-fucoside; the first is Thermosynechococcus elongatus BP-1. On the other hand, N. commune had no ketomyxol glycosides, which is observed in some Nostoc and Anabaena species.
