METHOD FOR PRODUCING β-CAROTENE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a highly safe method for producing β-carotene by which the β-carotene can inexpensively and stably supplied. SOLUTION: The method for producing the β-carotene or a carotenoid mixture containing the β-carotene comprises inducing mutation of a β-carotenoid-producing microorganism having a base sequence of a DNA corresponding to 16S ribosome RNA, substantially homologous to a specific base sequence, and producing a carotenoid compound selected from echinenone, β-cryptoxanthin, 3-hydroxyechinenone, asteroidenone, canthaxanthin, zeaxanthin, adonirubin, adonixanthin and astaxanthin, selecting a mutated strain achieving a proportion (mass%) of the produced β-carotene based on the whole produced amount of the carotenoid, higher than that by the parent strain to provide the β-carotene-producing microorganism, and collecting the β-carotene or the carotenoid mixture containing the β-carotene from a cultured product obtained by culturing the β-carotene-producing microorganism. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI