Optimal conditions for pigmentation in Bacillus licheniformis SSA3 and cloning of a DNA fragment involved in pigment production

Bacillus licheniformis SSA3 can produce a dark-brown antimutagenic pigment. The optimal conditions for production of this pigment are reached at 0.1% tyrosine, in pH 6-8, within 7-9 days, at $30^{\circ}C$, and in aerobic condition. We cloned a DNA fragment involved in pigment synthesis from Bacillus licheniformis SSA3 using a mutant strain. The cloned DNA was 7kb in size, which can produce the same pigment even in E. coli.