Coffee mannanase

A fragment of an isolated nucleic acid molecule derived from coffee encoding at least one enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of polysaccharides comprising pure or branched mannan molecules linked to each other via a β (1→4) linkage, comprising the nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1.

An isolated nucleic acid molecule which is homologous to or hybridizes to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1 or hybridizes to a fragment of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1.

A recombinant vector comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule that is nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1, a molecule which is homologous to or hybridizes to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1 or a molecule that hybridizes to a fragment of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1.

A protein derived from a coffee bean, which is encoded by a coffee gene and is involved in the hydrolysis of polysaccharides comprising a pure or branched mannan molecules linked to each other via a β (1→4) linkage, and which has the amino acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:2 or any amino acid sequence homologous to the latter, said protein comprising one of the following sequences:

• SEQ ID NO.:8, SEQ ID NO.:9 or SEQ ID NO.:10.

A plant cell comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof, encoding at least one enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of polysaccharides comprising a pure or branched mannan molecules linked to each other via a β (1→4) linkage, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof is integrated into the plant cell genome.

A microorganism comprising an isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof, encoding at least one enzyme involved in the hydrolysis of polysaccharides comprising pure or branched mannan molecules linked to each other via a β (1→4) linkage, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecule, or fragment thereof is integrated into the genome or plasmid of said microorganism.

The microorganism according to claim 14, comprising the isolated nucleic acid molecule that is nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1, a molecule which is homologous to or hybridizes to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1 or a molecule that hybridizes to a fragment of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1.

A method for detecting, in vitro, or modifying, in viva, at least one coffee gene encoding at least one endo-β-mannanase utilizing all or part of fragments of the isolated nucleic acid molecules that is nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1, a molecule which is homologous to or hybridizes to nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1 or a molecule that hybridizes to a fragment of nucleic acid sequence SEQ ID NO.:1, wherein said isolated nucleic acid molecule is used as a primer for carrying out a PCR or as a probe.