Microbial Bioactives

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Microbial Bioactives

Volume 9 Number 1 2026

Article Contents

REVIEWS   (Open Access)
Contents Vol 9 (1)

Marine Bacterial Carotenoid Pathways as a Reservoir of Functional Xanthophyll Biosynthesis: Enzymes, Diversity, and Engineering Insights

Abstract 1. Introduction 2. Materials and Methods 3. Results 4. Discussion 5. Limitations 6. Conclusion References

Debananda Singh Ningthoujam 1, Vasudeo P. Zambare 2,3 *

+ Author Affiliations

Microbial Bioactives 9 (1) 1-8 https://doi.org/10.25163/microbbioacts.9110636

Submitted: 14 March 2026 Revised: 08 May 2026  Accepted: 16 May 2026  Published: 18 May 2026 

Abstract

Carotenoid biosynthesis in bacteria—particularly within marine systems—has gradually shifted from being a descriptive biochemical curiosity to something more compelling, almost strategic, in biotechnology. This systematic review and meta-analysis attempts to bring some structure to that evolving narrative by integrating quantitative and functional evidence across diverse bacterial taxa. Drawing from 35 experimentally validated studies, we examined carotenoid production patterns, enzymatic contributions, and pathway variability using pooled effect sizes, forest plot analyses, and bias assessment through funnel plots. What emerges, perhaps not entirely unexpectedly but still striking in its consistency, is that bacterial carotenoid production is both robust and adaptable. Marine-derived strains, especially those producing ketocarotenoids such as astaxanthin, tend to show higher biosynthetic outputs compared to simpler carotenoid systems. At the same time, enzyme-level analyses suggest a layered organization: upstream enzymes establish metabolic flux, while downstream tailoring enzymes—hydroxylases and ketolases—introduce structural and functional diversity. There is, however, noticeable heterogeneity across studies, reflecting differences in host systems, environmental conditions, and genetic configurations. Yet, even with this variability, the overall trends remain stable. Publication bias appears minimal, and sensitivity analyses reinforce the reliability of the pooled estimates. Taken together, these findings suggest that marine bacterial carotenoid pathways are not only evolutionarily versatile but also technically exploitable—offering a reproducible framework for metabolic engineering, industrial pigment production, and future synthetic biology applications.

Keywords: Bacterial carotenoids, ketocarotenoids, systematic review, meta-analysis, forest plot, funnel plot, biochemical diversity, microbial pigments

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