Transgene S.a.

Aventis Pharma S.a.

Hoechst Marion Roussel

Tilman Achstetter

Eric Degryse

Gilles Cauet

Bruno Dumas

Yves Lemoine

Martine Nguyen

Denis Pompon

Roberto Spagnoli

Jacques Winter

Ulla B Rasmussen

Hanno V Kolbe

Hanno V J Kolbe

G&uuml;nther Kreil

Gunther Kreil

Jean-Marc Reichhart

Valerie Nacken

The present invention relates to novel yeast strains, methods and genetic constructs for their preparation, and their use for the synthesis or modification of steroidal compounds. More particularly, the invention describes strains having a reduced 20&#x3b1;HSD type activity, in particular by modifying the GCY1 and/or YPR1 genes. The yeast strains of the invention make it possible to improve the efficiency of the synthesis or to increase the selectivity or the yields of the method, as well as the quality of the final product. The strains, methods and compounds of the invention are useful in the search for, the development and the production of products with therapeutic or prophylactic activity, in humans or animals, in particular of steroidal derivatives.

Modified yeasts and uses thereof, in particular for producing steroid derivatives

The present invention relates to genetically modified yeast strains autonomously producing, from a simple carbon source, steroids. The invention also relates to a method for producing steroids from such yeast strains.

Yeast strains autonomously producing steroids

A subject of the invention is a modified yeast strain in which the acetyl-CoA pregnenolone acetyltransferase (APAT) activity is eliminated by altering the gene coding for this activity with resultant stabilization of 3&bgr;-hydroxysteroids.

Yeast strains possessing the interrupted ATF2 gene and their applications

Peptide family designated as xenonins, wherein the representative members can be isolated from the substance secreted from the skin of,and having precious pharmaceutical properties.

Family of peptides known as xenoxins

Promoters for expressing proteins of interest in yeast

The present invention relates to an improved system for producing mature heterologous proteins, and especially hirudin, by means of yeasts comprising an expression vector containing a sequence coding for the heterologous protein. This improvement is characterized by amplification of the KEX2 gene of yeast, coding for the endoprotease yscF. The amplification is carried out either by integration of one or more copies of all or part of the KEX2 gene in the yeast genome, or by insertion of one or more copies of all or part of the KEX2 gene into the vector for expression of the heterologous protein.

Yeast strains for the production of mature heterologous proteins,

The invention relates to new DNA fragments and to their application as a DNA coding fragment for a signal peptide which can be used for the secretion of proteins, said peptide including a sequence of amino-acids which show a degree of correspondence of at least 60% with the sequence of amino-acids (I) or (II), preferably with the sequence (II). The sequences (I) and (II) are as follows: (I) Arg-Phe-Ser-Thr-Thr-Leu-Ala-Thr-Ala-Ala-Thr-Ala-Leu-Phe-Phe-Thr-Ala-Ser-Gl n. (II) Arg-Phe-Ser-Thr-Thr-Leu-Ala-Thr-Ala-Ala-Thr-Ala-Leu-Phe-Phe-Thr-Ala-Ser-Gl n-Val-Ser-Ala.

Application of novel DNA fragments as a coding sequence for a signal

Yeast vector coding for heterologous gene fusions linked via KEX2

The invention relates to a new strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae productive of a heterologous protein, and more especially of hirudin, characterized by a suppression of the proteolytic function encoded by the PRC1 gene. More specifically, this deficiency is due to a mutation or more especially to a deletion of the PRC1 structural gene.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain productive of a heterologous protein and

Growing community of inventors

Oberkirch, Germany

Tilman Achstetter