Cetus Corporation

Jeffrey E Flatgaard

Michael A Innis

Jack H Nunberg

A gene having a DNA sequence complementary to that of the glucoamylase polypeptide mRNA from a fungal species, preferably Aspergillus awamori, is prepared. The mRNA is an approximately 2.2 kilobase poly A RNA obtained from fungal cells grown under conditions of glucoamylase induction. Reverse transcription of the mRNA provides a glucoamylase probe used to identify genomic digest fragments containing glucoamylase gene regions, which are sequenced to locate the introns and exons. The genomic fragments are spliced together to form a gene having a DNA sequence with altered or deleted introns which codes for fungal glucoamylase protein and is capable, when correctly combined with a cleaved DNA expression vector, of expressing a non-native protein having glucoamylase enzyme activity upon transformation of a host organism by the vector. The host is preferably bacteria or yeast. The transformed yeast host may be used to produce ethanol.

Growing community of inventors

Berkeley, CA, United States of America

Jeffrey E Flatgaard