Isomerases, nucleic acids encoding them and methods for making and using them

An isolated, synthetic, or recombinant polypeptide or peptide having a racemase activity, selected from a group consisting of:

• (a) full length amino acid sequence having at least 95%, 96%, 97%, 98%, 99%, or 100% sequence identity to the full length amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:412,
• (b) an amino acid sequence encoded by a full length nucleic acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:411;
• (c) the amino acid sequence of any of (a) to (b), and comprising at least one amino acid residue conservative substitution, and the polypeptide or peptide retains racemase activity;
• wherein the conservative substitution comprises replacement of an aliphatic amino acid with another aliphatic amino acid;
• replacement of a serine with a threonine or vice versa;
• replacement of an acidic residue with another acidic residue;
• replacement of a residue bearing an amide group with another residue bearing amide group;
• exchange of a basic residue with another basic residue;
• or, replacement of an aromatic residue with another aromatic residue, or a combination thereof,
• (d) the amino acid sequence of (c), wherein the aliphatic residue comprises Alanine, Valine, Leucine, Isoleucine or a synthetic equivalent thereof;
• the acidic residue comprises Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid or a synthetic equivalent thereof;
• the residue comprising an amide group comprises Aspartic acid, Glutamic acid or a synthetic equivalent thereof;
• the basic residue comprises Lysine, Arginine or a synthetic equivalent thereof;
• or, the aromatic residue comprises Phenylalanine, Tyrosine or a synthetic equivalent thereof;
• (e) the polypeptide of any of (a) to (d) but lacking a signal sequence, a prepro domain, or other domain;
• (f) the polypeptide of any of (a) to (e) and further comprising a heterologous sequence;
• (g) the polypeptide of (f), wherein the heterologous sequence comprises:
• (A) a heterologous signal sequence, a heterologous domain, a heterologous dockerin domain, a heterologous catalytic domain (CD), or a combination thereof;
• (B) the sequence of (A), wherein the heterologous signal sequence, domain or catalytic domain (CD) is derived from a heterologous enzyme;
• or, (C) a tag, an epitope, a targeting peptide, a cleavable sequence, a detectable moiety or an enzyme;
• or
• (h) the polypeptide of any of (a) to (g), wherein the polypeptide is glycosylated or comprises at least one glycosylation site or further comprises a polysaccharide, wherein optionally the glycosylation is an N-linked glycosylation, and optionally the polypeptide is glycosylated after being expressed in a P. pastoris or a S. pombe.