Monsanto Company

Other

Monsanto Technology LLC

Neste Oyj

Metabolix, Inc.

Alexander Steinbuchel

Toni Alols Voelker

David Byrom

Perttu Koskinen

Gerhard Gottschalk

Stephan Hetzler

Andreas Pries

Mathias Liebergesell

Christian Ewering

Silke Hein

Niels Kruger

Daniel Broker

Rainer Kalscheuer

Henry Valentin

Brigitte Sohling

Matthias Liebergesell

Tina L&uuml;tke-Eversloh

Stefan Uthoff

Ursula Pieper-Furst

This invention relates to cells and methods for producing lipids using cellulosic carbon source. More specifically the invention relates to oleaginous bacterial cells, wherein genes encoding at least one cellulolytic activity has been introduced. This invention also relates to methods for lipid production by cultivating an oleaginous bacterial strain or strains capable of expressing one or more cellulolytic activity.

Oleaginous bacterial cells and methods for producing lipids

Coexpression of a polyhydroxyalkanoic acid synthase and a either a fatty acid:acyl-CoA transferase or an acyl-CoA synthetase in cells enables the biosynthesis of polyester materials. Plasmids, bacteria, materials, and methods for the preparation of polyesters are disclosed.

Methods for the biosynthesis of polyesters

The invention provides polypeptides having wax ester synthase and acyl-CoA:diacylglycerol acyltransferase activity. Also provided are the nucleic acids encoding such polypeptides, cells and organisms transformed therewith and methods of use thereof. The invention allows the modification of lipid profiles in host cells and organisms. Novel methods for the production of waxy esters are also provided by the invention.

Methods and compositions for modification of lipid biosynthesis

Genes encoding polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase, &bgr;-ketothiolase and acetoacetyl CoA reductase are isolated from the publicly available bacterium . Recombinant genomes of plants or other species of bacteria which contain these genes are capable of producing polyalkanoate polymers. The nucleotide sequences of the said three genees have been determined.

Genes from chromatium vinosum for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoate

A class of biopolymer including sulfur in the form of a thioester in the polymer backbone or a thioether in the polymer side chains has been developed. These are preferably produced by fermentation of bacteria with appropriate sulfur containing substrates, which are incorporated by a broad spectrum polyhydroxyalkanoate (&ldquo;PHA&rdquo;) polymerase. The sulfur-containing PHAs allow various applications and uses in industry. Representative embodiments of the applications of the sulfur-containing PHAs include their uses in the packaging industry, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture or food industry, as active agents or as coatings, packaging, or carriers.

Sulfur containing polyhydroxyalkanoate compositions and method of production

HV/HB copolymer production

The N-terminal amino acid sequence of the polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) granule-associated M.sub.r 15,500 protein of Rhodococcus ruber, which is referred to as the GA14-protein, was analysed. The sequence revealed that the corresponding structural gene is represented by the open reading frame 3 encoding a protein with a calculated M.sub.r 14,175 which was recently localized downstream of the PHA synthase gene (Pieper, U., and A. Steinbuchel, 1992. FEMS Microbiol. Lett. 96: 73-80). A recombinant strain of Escherichia coli XL1-Blue carrying the hybrid plasmid (pSKXA10*) with ORF3 overexpressed the GA14-protein. The GA14-protein was subsequently purified in a three-step procedure including chromatography on DEAE-Sephacel, Phenyl-Sepharose CL-4B and Superose 12. Determination of the molecular weight by gel filtration as well as electron microscopic studies make a tetrameric structure of the recombinant, native GA14-protein most likely. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated a localization of the GA14-protein at the periphery of PHA granules as well as close to the cell membrane in R. ruber. Investigations of PHA-leaky and PHA-negative mutants of R. ruber indicated that the expression of the GA14-protein depended strongly on PhA synthesis.

Granule-associated proteins and methods for their use in

PHA E and PHA C components of poly(hydroxy fatty acid) synthase from

A genomic fragment harboring the gene phaG was cloned by phenotypic complementation of Pseudomonas putida KT2440 mutants, defective in the polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) synthesis via de novo fatty acid biosynthesis but not affected in PHA biosynthesis via fatty acid .beta.-oxidation. The 885-bp phaG gene encodes a protein of 295 amino acids with a molecular weight of 33,876 Da. The transcriptional induction of phaG could be observed under conditions of PHA synthesis via de novo fatty acid biosynthesis whereas no induction was detected under conditions which favor PHA synthesis via fatty acid degradation by .beta.-oxidation. The phaG gene is useful for the production of PHAs in bacteria and plants.

DNA sequence useful for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates

Growing community of inventors

Altenberge, Germany

Alexander Steinbuchel