| Summary: | Astaxanthin is a carotenoid pigment extensively used in various industries. <i>Rhodotorula</i> sp. CP72-2, isolated from <i>Calotropis gigantea</i>, showed potential astaxanthin production. In this study, strain CP72-2 was identified as a putative new species in the genus <i>Rhodotorula</i> based on the 26S rRNA gene sequence (98% identity). It was first used as the microbial source for producing astaxanthin. Strain CP72-2 was screened for its astaxanthin production and was identified and quantified by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS), and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. After a screening of astaxanthin production, various carbon sources, pH, temperature, and incubation period were evaluated for their effect on the astaxanthin production of strain CP72-2. Among the several experimental factors, the most efficient conditions for astaxanthin production were glucose (50 g/L), pH 4.5, 25 °C, and three days of cultivation. The assembly genome of strain CP72-2 has a total length of 21,358,924 bp and a GC content of 64.90%. The putative candidate astaxanthin biosynthesis-associated genes (i.e., <i>CrtE</i>, <i>CrtYB</i>, <i>CrtI</i>, <i>CrtS</i>, <i>CrtR</i>, <i>CrtW</i>, <i>CrtO</i>, and <i>CrtZ</i>) were found. This research presents the first report on the production and optimization of astaxanthin from strain CP72-2 and its genome analysis, focusing on the biotechnological potential of the astaxanthin producer.
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