Kirin Beer Kabushiki Kaisha

Shigeyuki Yamano

Takashi Inoue

Kazuo Kobayashi

Norihiko Misawa

Katsumi Nakamura

Junichi Tanaka

Disclosed are DNA sequences which are useful for the synthesis of carotenoids such as lycopene, .beta.-carotene, zeaxanthin or zeaxanthin-diglucoside, that is, DNA sequences encoding carotenoid biosynthesis enzymes. These DNA sequences are the sequences 1-6 shown in the specification. Also disclosed is a process for producing a carotenoid or a carotenoid related compound which is selected from the group consisting of geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate, phytoene, lycopene, .beta.-carotene, zeaxanthin and zeaxanthin-diglucoside, which comprises transforming a host with at least one of the DNA sequences 1-6 described above and culturing the transformant.

DNA sequences useful for the synthesis of carotenoids

DNA strand having an ability in biotechnological production of .alpha.-acetolactate decarboxylase is disclosed. The DNA strand is characterized in that it has a nucleotide sequence coding for a polypeptide whose amino acid sequence is substantially from A to B of FIG. 1 and which has .alpha.-acetolactate decarboxcylase activity. Also disclosed is a yeast which belongs a Saccharomyces cerevisiae and which has been transformed by the DNA strand. The yeast is characterized by the fact that its .alpha.-acetolactate producing ability is reduced, and will thus produce an alcoholic liquor such as beer which contains no or little diacetyls which have come from their precursor, namely .alpha.-acetolactate.

Growing community of inventors

Takasaki, Japan

Shigeyuki Yamano