Carotene synthase gene and uses therefor

• Main Authors: FRANK H. JR. OVERTON, JERRY M. KUNER, JAMES G. METZ, CRAIG A. WEAVER
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 05.03.2009
• Subjects: AGRICULTURE; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; FISHING; FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BYSUBCLASSES A23B - A23J; FORESTRY; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HUNTING; HYGIENE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; NEW PLANTS OR PROCESSES FOR OBTAINING THEM; ORGANIC CHEMISTRY; PEPTIDES; PLANT REPRODUCTION BY TISSUE CULTURE TECHNIQUES; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPECIFIC THERAPEUTIC ACTIVITY OF CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS ORMEDICINAL PREPARATIONS; SPIRITS; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OFNUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; THEIR TREATMENT, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES; TRAPPING; VINEGAR; WINE

Described herein is a novel three domain gene from Schizochytrium, denoted carotene synthase, that encodes a protein with three different enzymatic activities; phytoene dehydrogenase (PD), phytoene synthase (PS), and lycopene cyclase (LC). Also described is the isolated gene encoding the carotene synthase, homologues thereof, the enzyme encoded by such gene, biologically active portions and homologues thereof and fusion proteins comprising said enzyme portions and homologues, recombinant nucleic acid molecules, microorganisms and plants that have been genetically modified to increase or decrease the action of such gene, and methods of producing carotenoids and derivatives thereof. Also described are methods of producing microorganisms and products comprising lipids lacking pigmentation using the knowledge of the carotene synthase described herein and products of said methods.