The present invention provides methods to engineer microorganisms for the production of C.sub.30-aldehyde carotenoids. Specifically, various combinations of crtM, sqs, crtN and crtN2 genes from Staphylococcus aureus and Methylomonas sp. 16a can be co-expressed in transformant hosts, leading to the production of diaponeurosporene monoaldehyde, diapocarotene monoaldehyde, and/or diapocarotene dialdehyde. In a preferred embodiment, the genetically engineered pathway is introduced into a strain of Escherichia coli that has been engineered for the expression of carotenoids, and the C.sub.30-carotenoid product is diapocarotene dialdehyde.