The cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 has two distinct β-carotene ketolases: CrtO for echinenone and CrtW for ketomyxol synthesis

Two β-carotene ketolases, CrtW and CrtO, are widely distributed in bacteria, although they show no significant sequence homology with each other. The cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. PCC 7120 was found to have two homologous genes. In the crtW deleted mutant, myxol 2′-fucoside was present, but ketomyxol 2′-fucoside was absent. In the crtO deleted mutant, β-carotene was accumulated, and the amount of echinenone was decreased. Therefore, CrtW catalyzed myxol 2′-fucoside to ketomyxol 2′-fucoside, and CrtO catalyzed β-carotene to echinenone. This cyanobacterium was the first species found to have both enzymes, which functioned in two distinct biosynthetic pathways.