Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Eth Zurich

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

Institut National De Recherche Pour L'agriculture, L'alimentation Et L'environnement

Sintef Tto As

Institut National Des Sciences Appliquees De Toulouse

Universite Toulouse Iii – Paul Sabatier

Jean-Charles Portais

Stéphanie Heux

Volker F Wendisch

Trygve Brautaset

Tonje Marita Bjerkan Heggeset

Anne Krog

Wilhelmus Johannes Quax

Mark Jan Jacobus Bernhard Sibbald

Julia Vorholt

Jonas Müller

Patrick Kiefer

Eva Potthoff

Lennart Lessmeier

Alessandro De Simone

Disclosed is a microorganism, which has been engineered to acquire methylotrophy. More particularly, the application describes a non-naturally occurring microorganism, which has been engineered to express or include a first enzyme and a second enzyme, wherein the first enzyme is a methanol dehydrogenase (Mdh) enzyme or a methanol oxidase (Mox) enzyme, and wherein the second enzyme is a dihydroxyacetone synthase (Das) enzyme or a transketolase enzyme. The application also describes element and applications, more particularly kits and methods, which include or use the microorganism.

Synthetic methylotrophy

The present invention relates to a nucleic acid molecule, which encodes a polypeptide having alcohol dehydrogenase activity, in particular methanol dehydrogenase activity, comprising having a nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (i) a nucleotide sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 (mdh2-MGA3), 3 (mdh3-MGA3), or 5 (mdh2-PB1); (ii) a nucleotide sequence having at least 90% sequence identity, more particularly at least 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% sequence identity, with a nucleotide sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3 or 5; (iii) a nucleotide sequence which is degenerate with any one of the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3 or 5; (iv) a nucleotide sequence which is a part of the nucleotide sequence of any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3 or 5, or of a nucleotide sequence which is degenerate with a sequence of SEQ ID NOs: 1, 3 or 5; (v) a nucleotide sequence encoding all or part of a polypeptide whose amino acid sequence is set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 (Mdh2-MGA3), 4 (Mdh3-MGA3) or 6 (Mdh2-PB1); and (vi) a nucleotide sequence encoding all or part of a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence having at least 90% sequence identity, preferably at least 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98 or 99% sequence identity, with an amino acid sequence as set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2, 4 or 6; or a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to the nucleotide sequence of any one of (i) to (vi). Also provided are recombinant constructs, vectors and host cells comprising such a nucleic acid molecule and polypeptides encoded thereby. Such molecules may advantageously be used in the genetic modification of host cells, for example to introduce or modify methanol dehydrogenase activity.

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Growing community of inventors

Pibrac, France

Jean-Charles Portais