Process for producing isoprenoid compounds by microorganisms and a method for screening compounds with antibiotic or weeding activity

A process for producing an isoprenoid compound comprising the steps of:

• culturing a prokaryotic transformant harboring a vector containing DNA encoding a protein comprising an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:26 in a medium;
• allowing the transformant to produce and accumulate the isoprenoid compound;
• and
• recovering the isoprenoid compound.

A process for producing an isoprenoid compound comprising the steps of:

• introducing a vector containing DNA which hybridizes with a nucleotide sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 in the presence of 0.7 to 1.0 mol/l NaCl at 65° C. followed by washing in a 0.1 to 2-fold SSC solution at 65° C. and encodes a protein having activity to catalyze a reaction to produce 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate from 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate into a prokaryotic host cell to produce a transformant;
• culturing the transformant in a medium;
• allowing the transformant to produce and accumulate the isoprenoid compound;
• and
• recovering the isoprenoid compound.

A process for producing an isoprenoid compound comprising the steps of:

• culturing a prokaryotic transformant harboring a vector containing DNA that hybridizes with a nucleotide sequence consisting of SEQ ID NO:27 in the presence of 0.7 to 1.0 mol/l NaCl at 65° C. followed by washing in a 0.1 to 2-fold SSC solution at 65° C. and encodes a protein having activity to catalyze a reaction to produce 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate from 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate in a medium;
• allowing the transformant to produce and accumulate the isoprenoid compound;
• and
• recovering the isoprenoid compound.