Basf Aktiengesellschaft

Christina K Eddy

Alex Cheung

John W Campbell

The pesent invention is directed to biotin-producing recombinant cells transformed with an,bioE gene or a functional equivalent thereof, either alone or in combination with at least one additional nucleic acid sequence selected from,bioA, bioB, bioD, bioF, bioW, bioX, and bioY genes, or a functional equivalent of any of these genes. Preferred recombinant cells are capable of converting essentially all biotin vitamers to true biotin. The present invention also provides a method to produce biotin by culturing such recombinant cells under appropriate conditions in an effective medium, which preferably includes biotin precursor supplements. The present invention is also directed to recombinant cells transformed with an,bioH gene, or functional equivalent thereof, either alone or with at least one nucleic acid selected from the group consisting of,bioA, bioB, bioC, bioD, bioE, and bioF genes, and functional equivalents thereof, said recombinant cells being capable of producing more biotin than a cell not transformed with an,bioH gene, or functional equivalent thereof; and use of such cells to produce biotin.

Method to produce biotin

The present invention relates to a method to enhance a cell's ability to produce biotin precursors and/or biotin by deregulating at least one enzyme of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway in the cell, preferably an enzyme that carries out an early step in the pathway. Preferably, the biotin biosynthetic pathway is also deregulated. The invention includes biotin-producing cells in which at least one enzyme of the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway is deregulated, preferably by transforming the cells with nucleic acid sequences encoding at least one of those enzymes; methods to produce such cells; and use of such cells to produce biotin.

Growing community of inventors

Loveland, CO, United States of America

Christina K Eddy