Highly active xylose reductase from Neurospora crassa
AssigneesThe Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois, Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation
InventorsHuimin Zhao, Ryan Woodyer, Michael Simurdiak, Wilfred A. van der Donk
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Abstract
A new xylose reductase encoding gene from Neurspora crassa was heterologously expressed in E. coli as a His-tag fusion protein and subsequently purified in high yield. This xylose reductase was shown to have a high turnover rate and catalytic efficiency, high stability at room temperature, broad pH profile, and a preference of NADPH over NADH. This enzyme is utilized in production of xylitol and other sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and also in the metabolic enhancement of organisms used for fermentation of plant biomass into ethanol.
Claims7
A method of producing xylitol, the method comprising:
- (a) obtaining a highly active form of xylose reductase comprising the amino acid sequence of a Neurospora crassa xylose reductase as in SEQ ID NO:
- 2;
- and
- (b) providing conditions to produce xylitol from a xylose containing medium.
A method of producing a sugar alcohol, the method
- comprising:
- (a) obtaining a highly active form of xylose reductase comprising the amino acid sequence of a Neurospora crassa xylose reductase as in SEQ ID NO:
- 2;
- and
- (b) providing conditions to produce sugar alcohol from a xylose containing medium.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.