Donald Danforth Plant Science Center

Johnson & Johnson Research Pty Limited

Toni M Kutchan

Meinhart H Zenk

Anthony John Fist

David G Atkins

Torsten Grothe

Megan Augustin

Anan Ounaroon

Meinhard H Zenk

Yasuhiro Higashi

Stefanie Haase

Xiaohong Feng

Susanne Frick

Disclosed herein are methods for N-demethylating an N-methylated compound using an enzymatic reaction, rather than, e.g. a chemical modification. Also provided herein are enzymes for performing the reaction.

Morphinan N-demethylase isolated from the methylobacterium thebainfresser and methods of use thereof

The present disclosure relates generally to the identification of enzymes within the cyclopamine biosynthesis pathway as well as to engineering transgenic plants or organisms for the production of cyclopamine.

Constructs and methods for biosynthesis of cyclopamine

Provided are enhanced high yield production systems for producing terpenes in plants via the expression of fusion proteins comprising various combinations of geranyl diphosphate synthase large and small subunits and limonene synthases. Also provided are engineered oilseed plants that accumulate monoterpene and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons in their seeds, as well as methods for producing such plants, providing a system for rapidly engineering oilseed crop production platforms for terpene-based biofuels.

Methods for high yield production of terpenes

This invention provides a salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase protein, a salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase gene, and a sequence which is complementary thereto. This invention further provides a method for the production of thebaine comprising the steps of (i) contacting in vitro a protein having salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase activity with salutaridinol and acetyl coenzyme A at pH 8 to 9, and (ii) recovering the thebaine thus produced.

[object Object]

The present invention relates to methyl transfer enzymes involved in alkaloid biosynthesis in opium poppy. More particularly, the invention relates to proteins having (R,S)-reticuline 7-O-methyltransferase activity, to proteins having (R,S)-norcoclaurine 6-O-methyltransferase activity and to derivatives and analogues of these proteins. The invention also relates to nucleic acid molecules encoding the proteins, and their derivatives and analogues, and to their use in the production of methylated catechols and tetrahydrobenzylisoquinolines.

This invention provides: (A) a protein the sequence of which is in FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 14), or a fragment thereof having at least 15 amino acids, or a variant thereof, having at least 70% identity with FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 14) over a length of at least 400 amino acids; (B) a peptide comprising a fragment of salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase of at least 6 consecutive amino acids not present in other plant acetyltransferases as in FIG.(SEQ. IDs n&#xb0; 8 to 12); (C) a nucleic acid (i) the sequence of which is in FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 13) or FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 15), or (ii) a fragment thereof of at least 45 nucleotides, or (iii) a variant thereof, having at least 70% identity with FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 13) or FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 15) over a length of at least 1200 bases, or (iv) a sequence complementary to (i), (ii) or (iii); or (v) the RNA equivalent of any of (i), (ii), or (iii); (D) a nucleic acid comprising a fragment of a salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase gene of at least 18 consecutive nucleotides unique to the salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase gene from the 5' or 3&#x2032; untranslated regions in FIG.(SEQ. ID n&#xb0; 13), or a sequence complementary thereto. This invention also provides methods for producing pentacyclic morphinan alkaloids and thebaine.

Salutaridinol 7-O-acetyltransferase and derivatives thereof

The present invention concerns codeinone reductase from alkaloid poppy plants, the polynucleotides encoding the enzyme, transgenic plants transformed or transfected with polynucleotide(s) encoding codeinone reductase and to the production of alkaloids from transformed or transfected poppy plants.

Codeinone reductase from alkaloid poppy

The present invention relates to production of alkaloids from poppy plants and in particular togenes encoding enzymes in the alkaloid pathway, to proteins encoded by the gens, to plants transformed or transfected with the genes and to methods of altering alkaloid content or blend of poppy plants.

Growing community of inventors

St. Louis, MO, United States of America

Toni M Kutchan