The University of Queensland

Robert George Birch

Luguang Wu

Lianhui Zhang

The invention is directed to novel enzymes that convert sucrose to isomaltulose. More particularly, the present invention discloses novel sucrose isomerases, polynucleotides encoding these sucrose isomerases, methods for isolating such polynucleotides and nucleic acid constructs that express these polynucleotides. Also disclosed are cells, including transformed bacterial or plant cells, and differentiated plants comprising cells, which contain these sucrose isomerase-encoding polynucleotides, as well as extracts thereof. Methods of producing isomaltulose are also disclosed which use the polypeptides, polynucleotides, cells, cell extracts and plants of the invention.

Isomaltulose synthases, polynucleotides encoding them and uses therefor

The present invention relates to methods for increasing the yield of a compound produced by an organism. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods for increasing the total or soluble carbohydrate content or sweetness or increasing the content of an endogenous carbohydrate of a plant tissue by producing a sugar-metabolizing enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of an endogenous sugar (one that is normally produced in the plant) to an alien sugar (one that is not normally produced in the plant at the same developmental stage). The invention also relates to plants and plant parts that produce a sugar-metabolizing enzyme to yield an alien sugar, with the consequence of higher total fermentable carbohydrate content, and to fermentable carbohydrates and other products derived therefrom.

Growing community of inventors

Queensland, Australia

Robert George Birch