Patent 7422873 was granted and assigned to E.I. Du Pont De Nemours And Company on September, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
CrtW carotenoid ketolases are provided useful for the production of astaxanthin. The ketolases genes of the present invention exhibit improved ketolase activity when converting cyclic hydroxylated carotenoid intermediates into astaxanthin. Recombinant expression of the present carotenoid ketolases in host cell producing cyclic hydroxylated carotenoid intermediates enabled increased production of astaxanthin.