Method and system for producing triterpenes
AssigneeUniversity of Kentucky Research Foundation
InventorsJoe Chappell, Thomas D. Niehaus, Shigeru Okada, Timothy P. Devarenne, David S. Watt
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Abstract
A method and system are provided for the production of triterpene including methylated triterpenes. The method and system include isolated nucleic acid sequences encoding triterpene methyltransferases such as triterpene methyltransferases 1, 2, 3. Advantageously, the method and system includes transgenic plant cells via an expression vector for triterpene methyltransferase and optionally various triterpene synthase and prenyltransferase all with tags directing these enzymes to the chloroplast of the transgenic plant cells for using the chloroplast methyl erythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway in the triterpene biogenesis.
Claims25
An expression vector comprising (i) a promoter non-native to TMT-1 and TMT-2 and a nucleic acid having (ii) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of triterpene methyltransferase 1 (TMT-1) and triterpene methyltransferase 2 (TMT-2), selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:
- 1 and 2, wherein TMT-1 and TMT-2 have specificity for squalene and not botryococcene.
A transfected cell comprising a plant cell with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid having (i) a non-native TMT-1 or TMT-2 promoter and (ii) a nucleic acid sequence encoding a protein selected from the group consisting of triterpene methyltransferase 1 (TMT-1) and triterpene methyltransferase 2 (TMT-2), selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:
- 1 and 2, wherein TMT-1 and TMT-2 have specificity for squalene and not botryococcene.
A method for transforming a cell comprising transfecting a plant cell with an expression vector comprising (i) a promoter not native to TMT-1 and TMT-2 and (ii) a nucleic acid having a nucleic acid sequence encoding at least one protein selected from the group consisting of triterpene methyltransferase 1 (TMT-1) and triterpene methyltransferase 2 (TMT-2), selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS:
- 1 and 2 wherein TMT-1 and TMT-2 have specificity for squalene and not botryococcene.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.