Back to results
US 10,689,672 B2Granted
Vanillin synthase
AssigneesEvolva SA, University of Copenhagen
InventorsBirger Lindberg Møller, Esben Halkjaer Hansen, Jørgen Hansen, Nethaji Janeshawari Gallage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to methods for producing vanillin and related compounds. The methods involve use of a vanillin synthase capable of catalyzing side chain cleavage of ferulic acid to form vanillin. The invention also relates to host organisms expressing such vanillin synthases useful in the methods.
Claims23
A method of producing vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, vanillin glucoside, and/or vanillyl alcohol glucoside, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a microbial organism that comprises a heterologous nucleic acid encoding a vanillin synthase, wherein the vanillin synthase is capable of catalyzing conversion of ferulic acid or a ferulic acid derivative to form vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, vanillin glucoside, and/or vanillyl alcohol glucoside;
- (b) cultivating the microbial organism in the presence of ferulic acid and/or a ferulic acid derivative in culture medium supporting growth of the microbial organism;
- and
- (c) isolating vanillin, vanillyl alcohol, vanillyl alcohol glucoside, and/or vanillin glucoside from the microbial organism and/or from the culture medium;
- wherein the vanillin synthase capable of catalyzing the conversion of ferulic acid or a ferulic acid derivative to form vanillin comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:
- 1 or a functional homolog thereof,
- wherein the functional homolog thereof comprises:
- (i) an amino acid sequence with at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 1;
- (ii) an amino acid sequence with at least 99% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 17;
- (iii) an amino acid sequence with at least 99% identity to amino acids 62 to 356 of SEQ ID NO:
- 1;
- (iv) an amino acid sequence with at least 98% identity to amino acids 138 to 356 of SEQ ID NO:
- 1;
- (v) an amino acid sequence with at least 98% identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 21;
- or
- (vi) an amino acid sequence with at least 93% identity to the sequence encoded by SEQ ID NO:
- 24.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.