Prodigiosin from Serratia

Abstract

Prodigiosin is a red pigment with a pyrrolylpyrromethane skeleton. It is mainly produced by bacterial strains belonging to the Serratia genus, but also by some other genera, including Streptomyces and Vibrio . Within the genus Serratia , the pigment is generally produced as a virulence factor. However, it also has many important beneficial biological activities such as immunosuppressive and anti- proliferative activities. Moreover, the pigment has many industrial applications in textile and cosmetics. In this mini-review, we discuss the genetic and molecular mechanisms supporting prodigiosin synthesis and production from the Serratia genus, as well as its potential applications.