AhstraetIn Thermus thermophilus HB27, the crtB gene encoding phytoene synthase was found to exist on the large plasmid, pTT27. One of the carotenoid under-nroducina mutants. Crt31. carried a derivative of DTT~~ (~TT271 in which deletion and inversion were observed near the crtB gene. Z therm~philus H&3 also contained a large plasmid which showed homology to pTT27 and the crtB gene. These results suggested that g&es for carotenoid biosynthesis occurred as a cluster on a large plasmid in Thermus thermophilus. This is the first report to show directly that carotenogenesis is plasmid-encoded in microorganisms.

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