Iogen Energy Corporation

Iogen Corporation

Christopher D Hindle

Theresa C White

Loreta Gudynaite-Savitch

John J Tomashek

James A Lavigne

Christopher Hill

Nabil Masri

Fuad Tahna

Sylvia McHugh

Jacqueline Montalibet

Provided are isolated cellobiohydrolases comprising a modified Glycoside Hydrolase (GH) Family 7 catalytic domain, a GH Family 7 catalytic domain and a modified Family 1 carbohydrate binding module (CBM), or both a modified Family 7 catalytic domain and a modified Family 1 CBM. Such isolated cellobiohydrolases exhibit from 45% to about 99.9% amino acid sequence identity to amino acids 1-436 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or to amino acids 1-438 of SEQ ID NO: 2 and improved activity on process substrates. Also provided are genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for expressing the isolated cellobiohydrolases, a process for producing the isolated cellobiohydrolases, cellulase enzyme mixtures comprising the isolated cellobiohydrolase and a process for hydrolyzing a cellulosic substrate with such cellulase enzyme mixtures.

Cellobiohydrolase enzymes

A fermentation process for the production of cellulase mixtures is provided. The process comprises providing a genetically modified host filamentous fungus that overexpresses a Xyr1 transcription factor and/or that is partially or completely deficient in expressing one or more hemicellulase enzyme. The host filamentous fungus is cultured in a medium comprising a carbon source. The carbon source contains from about 60 wt % to about 100 wt % hemicellulose-derived carbohydrate and less than 5% of a cellulase-inducing carbohydrate or contains from about 25 wt % to about 100% wt % hemicellulose-derived sugar alcohol in combination with from about 0 wt % to about 75 wt % glucose, glycerol or a combination thereof.

Hosts and fermentation processes for cellulase production

The present invention relates to increasing the production of a protein of interest from a fugal host. The invention discloses nucleotide sequences comprising, a regulatory region in operative association with xylanase secretion sequence and a gene of interest. The gene of interest encodes a protein selected from a pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, industrial, animal feed, food additive and an enzyme. Preferably, the gene of interest encodes a cellulase, hernicellulase, a lignin degrading enzyme, pectinase, protease, or peroxidase. The present invention also relates to vectors and hosts comprising these nucleic acid sequences, and to methods for the production of a protein of interest.

Enhanced expression of proteins in genetically modified fungi

This invention relates to the genetic modification of a microbe to enhance its production of an enzyme, beta-glucosidase, that is important in the cellulose conversion process. The inventors have discovered genetic constructs that, when expressed in recombinant microbes, dramatically increase the amount of beta-glucosidase produced relative to untransformed microbes. The genetic constructs comprise a promoter, a xylanase secretion signal, and a mature beta-glucosidase coding region. The increased level of beta-glucosidase significantly increases the efficiency of hydrolysis of cellulose to glucose by cellulase enzymes, thereby enhancing the production of fuel ethanol from cellulose.

Genetic constructs and genetically modified microbes for enhanced

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Gloucester, Canada

Christopher D Hindle