A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A PROTEIN HAVING AN ENZYMATIC ACTIVITY FOR CONVERTING β-CAROTENE INTO ZEAXANTHIN OR CANTHAXANTHIN INTO ASTAXANTHIN

摘要

: The present invention relates to a process for preparing a protein which has an enzymatic activity for converting ~-carotene into zeaxanthin or canthaxanthin into astaxanthin and comprising the amino acid sequence SEQ ill NO.2 or a sequence derived from this sequence by substitution, insertion or deletion of amino acids as described in the sequence listing and having a homology of at least 50 % at the amino acid level with the sequence SEQ ill NO.2, by gene expression of the appropriate nucleic acid which encodes the said protein, in a known manner and to processes for preparing xanthophyll derivatives.