Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Enzyme – proenzyme; compositions thereof; process for... – Oxidoreductase
Reexamination Certificate
2000-08-08
2003-11-25
Nashed, Nashaat T. (Department: 1652)
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Enzyme , proenzyme; compositions thereof; process for...
Oxidoreductase
C435S069100, C435S252300, C435S252330, C435S320100, C530S350000, C536S023100, C536S023200, C536S023700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06653115
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a novel DNA coding for D-sorbitol dehydrogenase of a microorganism belonging to acetic acid bacteria including the genus Gluconobacter and the genus Acetobacter, an expression vector containing the said DNA, and recombinant organisms containing the said expression vector. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process for producing recombinant D-sorbitol dehydrogenase protein and a process for producing L-sorbose by utilizing the said recombinant enzymes or recombinant organisms containing the said expression vector.
L-Sorbose is an important intermediate in the actual industrial process of vitamin C production, which is mainly practiced by Reichstein method (Helvetica Chimica Acta, 17: 311, 1934). In the process, the only microbial conversion is the L-sorbose production from D-sorbitol by Gluconobacter or Acetobacter strains. The conversion is considered to be carried out by NAD/NADP independent D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (SLDH). L-Sorbose is also a well known substrate in the art for microbiologically producing 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, which is a useful intermediate in the production of vitamin C.
It is known that there are NAD/NADP-independent D-sorbitol dehydrogenases which catalyze the oxidation of D-sorbitol to L-sorbose. One such D-sorbitol dehydrogenase was isolated and characterized from
Gluconobacter suboxydans
var &agr; IFO 3254 (E. Shinagawa et al., Agric Biol. Chem., 46: 135-141, 1982), and found to consist of three subunits with the molecular weight of 63 kDa, 51 kDa, and 17 kDa; the largest subunit is dehydrogenase containing FAD as a cofactor, the second one is cytochrome c and the smallest one is a protein with unknown function; and shows its optimal pH at 4.5. Such SLDH was also purified and characterized from
G. suboxydans ATCC
621 (KCTC 2111) (E-S Choi et al., FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 125:45-50, 1995) and found to consist of three subunits with the molecular weight of 75 kDa, 50 kDa, and 14 kDa; the large subunit is dehydrogenase containing pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) as a cofactor, the second one is cytochrome c and the small one is a protein with unknown function. The inventors also purified and characterized the NAD/NADP-independent SLDH from
G. suboxydans IFO
3255 (T. Hoshino et al., EP 728840); the SLDH consists of one kind of subunit with the molecular weight of 79.0 +/−0.5 kDa and shows its optimal pH at 6 to 7 and shows dehydrogenase activity on mannitol and glycerol as well as on D-sorbitol.
Although several SLDHs have been purified, their genes have not been cloned yet. It is useful to clone the SLDH gene for efficient production of the SLDH enzyme and for constructing recombinant organism having enhanced SLDH activity to improve the production yield of L-sorbose. It is also useful to introduce the said SLDH gene into desired organisms, for example, Gluconobacter converting L-sorbose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid for constructing recombinant microorganisms which directly produce 2-keto-L-gulonic acid from D-sorbitol.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a polynucleotide (i.e. nucleotide sequence or gene) coding for D-sorbitol dehydrogenase protein (SLDH) originating from a microorganism belonging to acetic acid bacteria including the genus Gluconobacter and the genus Acetobacter; a DNA molecule comprising said nucleotide sequence as well as a combination of the said DNA with a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence of a protein functional in activating the said SLDH in vivo, expression vectors carrying the DNA comprising SLDH nucleotide sequence or the said combination of the DNAs; recombinant organisms carrying the expression vectors; a process for producing the recombinant SLDH; and a process for producing L-sorbose by utilizing the recombinant SLDH or the recombinant organisms.
Therefore this invention is directed to a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence which encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence from position 25 to position 740 of SEQ ID NO: 2, or a protein derived from that protein by substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence of positions 25-740 of SEQ ID NO. 2, which protein has D-sorbitol dehydrogenase (SLDH) activity, i.e. converts D-sorbitol to L-sorbose. Such a polynucleotide preferably encodes a protein derived from an acetic acid bacterium, in particular an acetic acid bacterium belonging to the genus Gluconobacter or the genus Acetobacter. This invention is also directed to an expression vector comprising such a polynucleotide, especially one which is functional in a microorganism belonging to the genus Gluconobacter or the genus Acetobacter or which is an
E. coli
. This invention also includes a recombinant organism comprising such an expression vector, especially one which has the polynucleotide on its chromosomal DNA, and preferably one which is a Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, or an
E. coli.
This invention is also directed to a polynucleotide as described above consisting of a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence from position 644 to position 2791 of SEQ ID NO:1, or a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence from position 572 to position 2791 of SEQ ID NO. 1, or polynucleotides capable of hybridizing to the above polynucleotides, and which encode proteins having D-sorbitol dehydrogenase protein activity.
This invention includes a polynucleotide which comprises a nucleotide sequence from position 192 to position 569 of SEQ ID NO: 1 and a polynucleotide which is capable of hybridizing to this polynucleotide and which encodes a protein which functions to activate a D-sorbitol dehydrogenase protein encoded by a polynucleotide of this invention (SLDH) in vivo, for example by helping to form and stabilize the SLDH when both proteins are present in an in vivo environment. This invention is also directed to an expression vector comprising such a polynucleotide, especially one which is functional in a microorganism belonging to the genus Gluconobacter or the genus Acetobacter or which is an
E. coli
. This invention also includes a recombinant organism comprising such an expression vector, especially one which has the polynucleotide on its chromosomal DNA, and preferably one which is a Gluconobacter, Acetobacter, or an
E. coli.
Also part of this invention is a polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence which encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 3 or a protein derived from the polypeptide by substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or more amino acids in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 3, which protein functions to activate a D-sorbitol dehydrogenase protein of this invention (SLDH), in vivo (by this is meant that when the protein and SLDH are together in vivo, for example in a microorganism, the protein functions to form and stabilize the active SLDH which catalyzes the conversion of D-sorbitol to L-sorbose).
Another polynucleotide of this invention comprises the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO. 1.
Any of the individual polynucleotides described above may be found in vectors of this invention, especially expression vectors. Similarly, any of the polynucleotides described above may be found in a recombinant organism (i.e. host cell) of this invention, either integrated into the host DNA, or on a vector such as an expression vector of this invention. Preferred vectors are those which function in the preferred recombinant organisms which are members of the genus Acetobacter, the genus Gluconobacter, or are
E. colis.
Also part of this invention are polynucleotides which combine the nucleotide sequences of other polynucleotides of this invention. These sequences may be in tandem (i.e. end to end), or may be separated by other coding or noncoding sequences.
One such polynucleotide comprises a nucleotide sequence which encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence from position 25 to position 740 of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a protein derived from that protein by substitution, deletion, insertion or addi
Hoshino Tatsuo
Miyazaki Taro
Ojima Setsuko
Shinjoh Masako
Tomiyama Noribumi
Bryan Cave LLP
Nashed Nashaat T.
Roche Vitamins Inc.
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