Method for producing alpha-santalene
AssigneeFirmenich SA
InventorMichel Schalk
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of producing α-santalene by contacting at least one polypeptide with farnesyl phyrophosphate (fpp). In particular, the method may be carried out in vitro or in vivo to produce α-santalene, a very useful compound in the fields of perfumery and flavoring. The present invention also provides the amino acid sequence of a polypeptide useful in the method of the invention. A nucleic acid encoding the polypeptide of the invention and an expression vector containing the nucleic acid represent part of the present invention. A non-human host organism and a cell transformed to be used in the method of producing α santalene are also part of the present invention.
Claims22
A method for producing isolated α-santalene comprising:
- a) contacting FPP with at least one polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1;
- and
- b) recovering the α-santalene produced in step a).
A method for producing α-santalene comprising:
- a) contacting FPP with at least one polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1, wherein step a) comprises cultivating a non-human host organism or cell capable of producing FPP and transformed to express at least one polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1 and having an α-santalene synthase activity, under conditions conducive to the production of α-santalene;
- and
- b) optionally, recovering the α-santalene produced in step a).
A method for producing isolated α-santalene or a mixture of sesquiterpenes comprising:
- a) contacting FPP with at least one polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1, wherein α-santalene or (+)-α-santalene is the major product or in which α-santalene or (+)-α-santalene represents at least 60%, at least 80%, or at least 90%, of the sesquiterpenes obtained;
- and
- b) optionally, recovering the α-santalene or mixture of sesquiterpenes produced in step a).
A cDNA encoding a polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1.
A method for producing at least one polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity comprising:
- a) culturing a non-human host organism or cell transformed with an expression vector comprising a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity or a (+)-α-santalene synthase activity and comprising an amino acid sequence at least 90% identical to SEQ ID NO:
- 1, so that it harbors said nucleic acid and expresses or overexpresses said polypeptide;
- and
- b) isolating the polypeptide from the non-human host organism or cell cultured in step a);
- wherein the polypeptide having an α-santalene synthase activity comprises an amino acid sequence having at least 90%, 95%, or 100% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:
- 1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.