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US20030124685A1 - Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing l-arginine - Google Patents

Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing l-arginine Download PDF

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US20030124685A1
US20030124685A1 US09/494,359 US49435900A US2003124685A1 US 20030124685 A1 US20030124685 A1 US 20030124685A1 US 49435900 A US49435900 A US 49435900A US 2003124685 A1 US2003124685 A1 US 2003124685A1
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Yoko Kuwabara
Kenichi Hashiguchi
Tsuyoshi Nakamatsu
Osamu Kurahashi
Yukiko Mori
Hisao Ito
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Ajinomoto Co Inc
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Assigned to AJINOMOTO CO., INC. reassignment AJINOMOTO CO., INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HASHIGUCHI, KENICHI, ITO, HISAO, KURAHASHI, OSAMU, KUWABARA, YOKO, MORI, YUKIKO, NAKAMATSU, TSUYOSHI
Priority to US09/629,616 priority Critical patent/US6255086B1/en
Priority to US09/836,470 priority patent/US6881566B2/en
Priority to US10/284,334 priority patent/US6908754B2/en
Priority to US10/284,138 priority patent/US20030082774A1/en
Publication of US20030124685A1 publication Critical patent/US20030124685A1/en
Priority to US11/011,701 priority patent/US7297521B2/en
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    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12N—MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING, OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; CULTURE MEDIA
    • C12N9/00—Enzymes; Proenzymes; Compositions thereof; Processes for preparing, activating, inhibiting, separating or purifying enzymes
    • C12N9/93—Ligases (6)
    • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
    • C12—BIOCHEMISTRY; BEER; SPIRITS; WINE; VINEGAR; MICROBIOLOGY; ENZYMOLOGY; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING
    • C12P—FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE
    • C12P13/00—Preparation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds
    • C12P13/04—Alpha- or beta- amino acids
    • C12P13/10—Citrulline; Arginine; Ornithine

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  • the present invention relates to carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of coryneform bacteria, and a gene therefor.
  • the gene can be utilized for production of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase and subunits thereof, breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria and nucleic acid-producing bacteria and so forth.
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reactions producing carbamoyl phosphate from carbonic acid, ATP and glutamine. Carbamoyl phosphate produced by these reactions serves as a source of carbamoyl group required for the reaction producing citrulline from ornithine in the L-arginine biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, carbamoyl aspartate produced from aspartic acid and carbamoyl phosphate is one of the intermediates of the pyrimidine biosynthesis system including uridine 5′-monophosphate.
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase consists of two subunits, and it has been known for bacteria belonging to the genus Escherichia or Bacillus that those subunits are encoded by carA and carB genes.
  • ArgA N-acetylglutamine synthetase
  • An object of the present invention is to provide carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of coryneform bacteria, a gene coding for it, and a method for producing L-arginine with a microorganism utilizing the gene.
  • the inventors of the present invention eagerly studied in order to achieve the aforementioned object. As a result, the inventors successfully obtained a DNA fragment containing the carA gene and the carB gene from a wild strain of Breveibacterium lactofermentum by utilizing a carB-deficient strain of Escherichia coli , and thus accomplished the present invention.
  • the present invention provides the followings.
  • a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2,
  • a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
  • a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.
  • polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
  • a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2.
  • a protein which comprises a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d):
  • polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
  • a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2.
  • a method for producing of L-arginine comprising the steps of culturing a coryneform bacterium according to any one of (10) to (13) in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
  • the present invention provides genes coding for the subunits that constitute carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase.
  • the gene can be utilized for production of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase and subunits thereof, breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria and nucleic acid-producing bacteria and so forth. Aditionally, L-arginine can be produced efficiently according to the present invention.
  • FIG. 1 shows the structure of plasmid p19 containing the carA gene and carB gene.
  • FIG. 2 shows a construction process of plasmid pK1.
  • FIG. 3 shows a construction process of plasmid pSFK6.
  • the DNA of the present invention can be obtained from a chromosome DNA library of coryneform bacteria prepared with vectors such as plasmids by selection of the DNA using a microorganism which is deficient in carA or carB, for example, Escherichia coli RC50 (carA50, tsx ⁇ 273, ⁇ ⁇ , rpsL135 (str R ), malT1 ( ⁇ R), xy1A7, thi ⁇ 1; Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)), Escherichia coli JEF8 (thr ⁇ 31, ⁇ carB, relA ⁇ , metB1, Mol. Gen.
  • Escherichia coli JEF8 thr ⁇ 31, ⁇ carB, relA ⁇ , metB1, Mol. Gen.
  • a DNA fragment can be obtained by transforming such a microorganism with a chromosome DNA library, selecting clones in which the auxotrophy is complemented, and recovering a recombinant vector from the selected transformants.
  • the coryneform bacteria used for preparing a chromosome DNA library are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include bacteria having been hitherto classified into the genus Brevibacterium but united into the genus Corynebacterium at present ( Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 41, 255 (1981)), and include bacteria belonging to the genus Brevibacterium closely relative to the genus Corynebacterium, more specifically, wild strains of Breveibacterium lactofermentum and so forth.
  • Chromosome DNA of coryneform bacteria can be prepared by, for example, the method of Saito and Miura ( Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 72, 619, (1963)), the method of K. S. Kirby ( Biochem. J., 64, 405, (1956)) and so forth.
  • a chromosome DNA library can be obtained by partially digesting chromosome DNA with suitable restriction enzymes, ligating each of the obtained DNA fragments to a vector DNA autonomously replicable in Escherichia coli cells to prepare a recombinant DNA, and introducing the DNA into Escherichia coli .
  • the vector is not particularly limited so long as it is a vector usually used for genetic cloning, and plasmid vectors such as pUC19, pUC18, pUC118, and pUC119, phage vectors such as ⁇ phage DNA and so forth can be used. Further, a vector autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells may also be used.
  • Such a vector can be constructed by ligating a vector for Escherichia coli and pAM330, which is a cryptic plasmid of Breveibacterium lactofermentum (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 58-67699).
  • Escherichia coli HB101 harboring pHK4 was designated as Escherichia coli AJ13136, and it was deposited at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (postal code 305-8566, 1-3 Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan) on Aug. 1, 1995, and received an accession number of FERM BP-5186.
  • the transformation of Escherichia coli cells can be performed by, for example, the method of D. A. Morrison (Methods in Enzymology, 68, 326, 1979), the method of treating recipient cells with calcium chloride so as to increase the permeability of DNA (Mandel, M. and Higa, A., J. Mol. Biol., 53, 159 (1970)) and so forth.
  • methods for preparation of chromosome DNA library preparation of plasmid DNA, and digestion and ligation of DNA, as well as methods for PCR, preparation of oligonucleotides and hybridization mentioned hereinafter, conventional methods well known to those skilled in the art can be used. Such methods are described in Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. and Maniatis, T., “Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, (1989) and so forth.
  • a nucleotide sequence of a DNA fragment containing carA and carB obtained as described above is represented as SEQ ID NO: 1 in Sequence Listing.
  • This sequence contains two open reading frames (ORF, nucleotide numbers 283 to 1461 and nucleotide numbers 1756 to 4809).
  • the upstream ORF is carA
  • the downstream ORF is carB.
  • the amino acid sequences encoded by these ORFs are shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 3, respectively.
  • a peptide encoded by carA is referred to as a small subunit
  • a peptide encoded by carB is referred to as a large subunit.
  • GTG of the nucleotide numbers 283 to 285 is indicated as the initiation codon in Sequence Listing.
  • GTG of the nucleotide numbers 415 to 417 or ATG of the nucleotide numbers 430 to 432 may possibly be the initiation codon.
  • an active small subunit can be obtained by using a longer open reading frame for the upstream region for the expression of carA.
  • the amino acid corresponding to the GTG as the initiation codon is indicated as valine for each subunit, but it may be methionine, valine or formylmethionine.
  • the small subunit of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the present invention is, for example, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 45 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 1 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 or the like.
  • the large subunit of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the present invention is, for example, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID NO: 3.
  • the DNA coding for the small subunit may be one coding for an amino acid sequence which contains the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, or one coding for a polypeptide which can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with the large subunit.
  • the DNA coding for the large subunit may be one coding for an amino acid sequence which contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, or one coding for a polypeptide which can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with the small subunit.
  • it may be one coding for a protein which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and has a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity.
  • a DNA that encodes carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase containing a mutation or mutations in the small subunit or the large subunit, or both of them also falls within the scope of the DNA of the present invention.
  • severe amino acids preferably means 1 to 20 amino acids, more preferably 1 to 10 amino acids.
  • DNA which encodes the substantially same peptide as the small subunit or the large subunit as described above, is obtained, for example, by modifying the nucleotide sequence of the DNA encoding the small subunit or the large subunit, for example, by means of the site-directed mutagenesis method so that one or more amino acid residues at a specified site of the gene involve substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion.
  • DNA modified as described above may be obtained by the conventionally known mutation treatment.
  • the mutation treatment includes a method for treating DNA coding for the small subunit or the large subunit in vitro, for example, with hydroxylamine, and a method for treating a microorganism, for example, a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia harboring DNA coding for the small subunit and the large subunit with ultraviolet irradiation or a mutating agent such as N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) and nitrous acid usually used for the mutation treatment.
  • NTG N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine
  • substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of nucleotide as described above also includes mutation (mutant or variant) which naturally occurs, for example, the difference in strains, species or genera of the microorganism having the small subunit and/or the large subunit.
  • the DNA which encodes substantially the same protein as carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, is obtained by expressing DNA having mutation as described above in an appropriate cell, and investigating the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of an expressed product.
  • the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can be measured by the known method ( Journal of Genral Microbiology, 136, 1177-1183 (1990)).
  • the DNA which encodes substantially the same protein as carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, is also obtained by isolating DNA which is hybridizable with DNA having, for example, a nucleotide sequence corresponding to nucleotide numbers of 283 to 1461 or 1756 to 4809 of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, under a stringent condition, and which encodes a protein having the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, from DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having mutation or from a cell harboring it.
  • the “stringent condition” referred to herein is a condition under which so-called specific hybrid is formed, and non-specific hybrid is not formed.
  • the stringent condition includes a condition under which DNA's having high homology, for example, DNA's having homology of not less than 70%, preferably not less than 80%, more preferably not less than 90% are hybridized with each other, and DNA's having homology lower than the above are not hybridized with each other.
  • the stringent condition is exemplified by a condition under which DNA's are hybridized with each other at a salt concentration corresponding to an ordinary condition of washing in Southern hybridization, i.e., 60° C., 1 ⁇ SSC, 0.1% SDS, preferably 0.1 ⁇ SSC, 0.1% SDS.
  • a partial sequence of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 can also be used.
  • Such a probe may be prepared by PCR using oligonucleotides produced based on the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 as primers, and a DNA fragment containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 as a template.
  • the conditions of washing for the hybridization consist of, for example, 50° C., 2 ⁇ SSC, and 0.1% SDS.
  • the DNA of the present invention can be obtained by amplifying it from coryneform bacterial chromosome DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR: polymerase chain reaction; see White, T. J. et al., Trends Genet., 5, 185 (1989)) utilizing oligonucleotides prepared based on that nucleotide sequence as primers, or by selecting it from a coryneform bacterial chromosome DNA library by hybridization utilizing an oligonucleotide prepared based on that nucleotide sequence as a probe.
  • PCR polymerase chain reaction
  • a region upstream from the nucleotide number 283, preferably a region upstream from the nucleotide number 185 of SEQ ID NO: 1 can suitably be selected as the 5′ primer, and a region downstream from the nucleotide number 4809 of SEQ ID NO: 1 can suitably be selected as the 3′ primer.
  • Examples of the host for the expression of the DNA of the present invention include various bacteria such as Escherichia coli and coryneform bacteria including Breveibacterium lactofermentum and Brevibacterium flavum, eukaryotic cells such as those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and so forth.
  • the host cells can be transformed with a recombinant vector obtained by inserting the DNA of the present invention into a vector selected according to the nature of the host in which the DNA is to be expressed. This procedure can be performed by a method well known to those skilled in the art.
  • the method include the methods used for transformation of Escherichia coli mentioned above, the method in which competent cells are prepared from cells at the proliferating stage to introduce DNA, as reported for Bacillus subtilis (Duncan, C. H., Wilson, G. A. and Young, F. E., Gene, 1, 153 (1977)), the method in which DNA recipient cells are allowed to be in a state of protoplasts or spheroplasts capable of incorporating recombinant DNA with ease to introduce recombinant DNA into the DNA recipient cells, as known for Bacillus subtilis, actinomycetes, and yeasts (Chang, S. and Choen, S. N., Molec. Gen.
  • the DNA to be introduced into the host such as those mentioned above may be DNA containing either carA or carB, or DNA containing both of them. Further, in order to attain efficient expression of these genes, a promoter functioning in the host cells such as lac, trp and P L may be ligated at a position upstream from carA or carB.
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase or its subunits can be produced by culturing a transformant such as those mentioned above under a condition that allows the expression of carA or carB.
  • the DNA of the present invention can also be utilized for breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria or nucleic acid-producing bacteria such as uracil-producing bacteria. That is, a transformant introduced with the DNA of the present invention, in particular, one introduced with either carA or carB or both of them, should have increased carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity compared with non-transformants. Consequently, its productivity for L-arginine or nucleic acid such as uracil is improved.
  • L-Arginine can efficiently be produced by culturing a microorganism that has enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, and has L-arginine productivity in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
  • microorganism having L-arginine productivity include coryneform bacteria, bacteria belonging to the genera Bacillus, Serratia and Escherichia, yeast species belonging to the genus Saccharomyces or Candida. Of these, coryneform bacteria are preferred.
  • Exemplary specific species include Bacillus subtilis as a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus, Serratia marcescens as a bacterium belonging to the genus Serratia, Escherichia coli as a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a yeast species belonging to the genus Saccharomyces, Candida tropicalis as a yeast species belonging to the genus Candida and so forth.
  • Exemplary microorganisms having L-arginine productivity include Bacillus subtilis resistant to 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 2-thiouracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-azacytosine and so forth, Bacillus subtilis resistant to arginine hydroxamate and 2-thiouracil, Bacillus subtilis resistant to arginine hydroxamate and 6-azauracil (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 49-1268191),
  • Escherichia coli introduced with the argA gene (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-5693),
  • Coryneform bacteria include those bacteria having been hitherto classified into the genus Brevibacterium but united into the genus Corynebacterium at present ( Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 41, 255 (1981)), and include bacteria belonging to the genus Brevibacterium closely relative to the genus Corynebacterium. Examples of such coryneform bacteria are listed below.
  • Corynebacterium lilium Corynebacterium glutamicum
  • the coryneform bacteria that have the L-arginine productivity are not particularly limited so long as they have the L-arginine productivity. They include, for example, wild-type strains of coryneform bacteria; coryneform bacteria resistant to certain agents including sulfa drugs, 2-thiazolealanine, ⁇ -amino- ⁇ -hydroxyvaleric acid and the like; coryneform bacteria exhibiting L-histidine, L-proline, L-threonine, L-isoleucine, L-methionine, or L-tryptophan auxotrophy in addition to the resistance to 2-thiazolealanine (Japanese Patent Laid-open No.
  • coryneform bacteria resistant to ketomalonic acid, fluoromalonic acid, or monofluoroacetic acid Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-18989
  • coryneform bacteria resistant to argininol Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-24075
  • coryneform bacteria resistant to X-guanidine X represents a derivative of fatty acid or aliphatic chain, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-186995) and so forth.
  • the AJ11169 strain and the AJ12092 strain are the 2-thiazolealanine resistant strains mentioned in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 54-44096
  • the AJ11336 strain is the strain having argininol resistance and sulfadiazine resistance mentioned in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-24075
  • the AJ11345 strain is the strain having argininol resistance, 2-thiazolealanine resistance, sulfaguanidine resistance, and exhibiting histidine auxotrophy mentioned in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-24075
  • the AJ12430 strain is the strain having octylguanidine resistance and 2-thiazolealanine resistance mentioned in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-186995.
  • the intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of such microorganisms having the L-arginine productivity as mentioned above can be enhanced by, for example, increasing copy number of a gene coding for the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase in the cells of the aforementioned microorganisms.
  • the enhancement of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can also be achieved by, in addition to the aforementioned gene amplification, modifying an expression regulation sequence for the DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase so that expression of the DNA gene coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase should be enhanced.
  • an expression regulation sequence such as a promoter for a gene coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase on the chromosomal DNA or a plasmid can be replaced with a stronger one (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1-215280).
  • Strong promoters which function in cells of coryneform bacteria, include lac promoter, tac promoter, trp promoter, of Escherichia coli (Y. Morinaga, M. Tsuchiya, K. Miwa and K. Sano, J. Biotech., 5, 305-312 (1987)) and the like.
  • trp promoter of Corynebacterium bacteria is also a preferable promoter (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-195294).
  • the modification of expression regulation sequence may be combined with the increasing of the copy number of DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase.
  • the intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can be enhanced by introducing one or more mutations into the enzyme protein of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase so that the specific activity of the enzyme should be increased.
  • Examples of the DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase include the aforementioned carA and carB genes of Breveibacterium lactofermentum and one containing both of them.
  • Examples of the vector for introducing DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase into a microorganism include vectors autonomously replicable in cells of the microorganism. Specifically, the aforementioned vectors autonomously replicable in Escherichia coli cells, and the vectors autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells.
  • the medium used for culturing a microorganism having enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity and L-arginine productivity obtained as described above may be a well-known medium conventionally used for the production of amino acids by fermentation. That is, it is a usual medium that contains a carbon source, nitrogen source, inorganic ions, and other organic components as required.
  • the carbon source it is possible to use sugars such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, fructose and starch hydrolysates; alcohols such as glycerol and sorbitol; or organic acids such as fumaric acid, citric acid and succinic acid and so forth.
  • sugars such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, fructose and starch hydrolysates
  • alcohols such as glycerol and sorbitol
  • organic acids such as fumaric acid, citric acid and succinic acid and so forth.
  • the nitrogen source it is possible to use inorganic ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and ammonium phosphate, organic nitrogen such as soybean hydrolysates, ammonia gas, aqueous ammonia and so forth.
  • inorganic ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and ammonium phosphate
  • organic nitrogen such as soybean hydrolysates, ammonia gas, aqueous ammonia and so forth.
  • the medium preferably contains a suitable amount of required substance such as vitamin B 1 and L-homoserine, yeast extract and so forth as trace amount organic nutrients.
  • a suitable amount of required substance such as vitamin B 1 and L-homoserine, yeast extract and so forth as trace amount organic nutrients.
  • a small amount of potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, iron ions, manganese ions and so forth may be added to the medium.
  • the cultivation is preferably performed under an aerobic condition for 1-7 days.
  • Cultivation temperature is preferably 24-37° C.
  • pH of the medium during the cultivation is preferably 5-9.
  • Inorganic or organic acidic or alkaline substances, ammonia gas and so forth may be used for adjusting pH.
  • L-Arginine can usually be recovered from the fermentation medium by a combination of known techniques such as ion exchange resin method.
  • Brevibacterium lactofermentun ATCC13869 was inoculated to 100 ml of T-Y culture medium (1% of Bacto-Trypton (Difco), 0.5% of Bacto-Yeast Extract (Difco), 0.5% of NaCl (pH 7.2)), and cultured at a temperature of 31.5° C. for 8 hours to obtain a culture. The culture was centrifuged at 3,000 r.p.m. for 15 minutes to obtain 0.5 g of wet bacterial cells, and chromosome DNA was obtained from the bacterial cells according to the method of Saito and Miura ( Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 72, 619 (1963)).
  • chromosome DNA and 3 units of restriction enzyme Sau3AI were each mixed in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (containing 50 mM NaCl, 10 MM MgSO 4 and 1 mM dithiothreitol (pH 7.4)), and allowed to react at a temperature of 37° C. for 30 minutes.
  • the reaction mixture was subjected to phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation in a conventional manner to obtain 50 ⁇ g of chromosome DNA fragments of Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 digested with Sau3AI.
  • pSAC4 As a plasmid vector DNA autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells, pSAC4 was used. pSAC4 was prepared as follows. In order to make a vector pHSG399 for Escherichia coli (Takara Shuzo) autonomously replicable in coryneform bacterium cells, a replication origin of the previously obtained plasmid pHM1519 autonomously replicable in coryneform bacterium cells (Miwa, K. et al., Agric. Biol. Chem., 48 (1984) 2901-2903) was introduced into the vector (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-7491).
  • pHM1519 was digested with restriction enzymes BamHI and KpnI to obtain a gene fragment containing the replication origin, and the obtained fragment was blunt-ended by using Blunting Lit produced by Takara Shuzo, and inserted into the SalI site of pHSG399 using a SalI linker (produced by Takara Shuzo) to obtain pSAC4.
  • Escherichia coli DH5 was transformed with this DNA mixture in a conventional manner, and plated on an L agar medium containing 170 ⁇ g/ml of chloramphenicol to obtain about 20,000 colonies, which were used as a gene library.
  • transformants were replicated on a minimum medium (5 g/L of glucose, 12.8 g/L of Na 2 HPO 4 , 3 g/L of KH 2 PO 4 , 0.5 g/L of NaCl, 1 g/L of NH 4 Cl, 40 ⁇ g/ml of L-threonine, 40 ⁇ g/ml of L-methionine) not containing arginine and uracil, and the minimum medium not containing L-arginine, but containing only 50 ⁇ g/ml of uracil, and screened for a strain in which arginine auxotrophy and uracil auxotrophy were restored, or a strain in which arginine auxotrophy was restored.
  • a minimum medium 5 g/L of glucose, 12.8 g/L of Na 2 HPO 4 , 3 g/L of KH 2 PO 4 , 0.5 g/L of NaCl, 1 g/L of NH 4 Cl, 40 ⁇ g/ml of
  • the Escherichia coli JEF8/p19 was designated as Escherichia coli AJ13574, and it was deposited at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (postal code 305-8566, 1-3 Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan) on Jan. 28, 1999, and received an accession number of FERM P-17180, and transferred from the original deposit to international deposit based on Budapest Treaty on Jan. 6, 20000, and has been deposited as deposition number of FERM BP-6989.
  • a plasmid was prepared from JEF8/p19 in a conventional manner, and used for re-transformation of the JEF8 strain.
  • the obtained transformants could grow in the minimum culture medium not containing L-arginine and uracil, and its auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil was restored. Therefore, it was found that that the plasmid contained a gene complementing the auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil caused by deletion of carB in the Escherichia coli strain.
  • this plasmid was introduced into the carA mutant of Escherichia coli , RC50 (carA50, tsx ⁇ 273, ⁇ ⁇ , rpsL135 (str R ), malT1 ( ⁇ R), xylA7, thi ⁇ 1; Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)). Since the strain introduced with the plasmid was able to grow in the minimum culture medium not containing arginine and uracil, the plasmid was also found to have a gene complementing the auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil caused by carA mutation of the Escherichia coli strain.
  • nucleotide sequence of about 4.8 kb from the HindIII side of the multi-cloning site of the vector to the HindIII site contained in the insertion DNA fragment was determined.
  • the nucleotide sequencing was performed by using Rohdamin Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit (produced by ABI) according to the method of Sanger.
  • the obtained nucleotide sequence is shown as SEQ ID NO: 1 in Sequence Listing. From analysis of a consensus sequence which located in the upstream region of this gene, it was estimated that two open reading frames (open reading frame from 283rd G to 1461st A and open reading frame from 1756th G to 4809th T) were contained in this sequence.
  • the nucleotides of the 162nd (TGCATA) to 194th (TATAAT), the 185th (TGCATA) to 213rd (TAAACT), the 203rd (TTGAAT) 230th (TATCAA), or the 224th (TTATCA) to 251st (TAAAAA) can be estimated to be a promoter region for regulating the transcription.
  • the amino acid sequences encoded by these open reading frames are represented with the nucleotide sequences.
  • the amino acid sequences were also shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 3.
  • a protein database (GenBank CDS) was searched for sequences exhibiting homology with these amino acid sequences.
  • the 5′ open reading frame showed high homology (about 40%) with carA gene products of Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and so forth
  • the 3′ open reading frame showed high homology with known carB gene products of Escherichia coli, Bacillus stearothermophilus and so forth (about 40 to 50%). Therefore, it was suggested that these open reading frames coded for carA and carB, respectively.
  • p19 was introduced into the Brevibacterium flavum wild strain 2247 (AJ14067) by the electric pulse method (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791).
  • the transformants were selected as chloramphenicol resistant strains on a CM2G plate medium (containing 10 g of polypeptone, 10 g of yeast extract, 5 g of glucose, 5 g of NaCl, 15 g of agar in 1 L of pure water, pH 7.2) containing 5 ⁇ g/ml of chloramphenicol to obtain 2247/p19.
  • a plasmid vector autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells was newly produced as a plasmid used for introducing the carA and carB genes into coryneform bacteria.
  • a vector containing a drug resistance gene of Streptococcus faecalis was constructed first.
  • the kanamycin resistant gene of Streptococcus faecalis was amplified by PCR from a known plasmid containing that gene.
  • the nucleotide sequence of the kanamycin resistant gene of Streptococcus faecalis has already been clarified (Trieu-Cuot, P. and Courvalin, P., Gene, 23(3), 331-341 (1983)).
  • the primers shown as SEQ ID NOS: 4 and 5 were synthesized based on that sequence, and PCR was performed by using pDG783 (Anne-Marie Guerout-Fleury et al., Gene, 167, 335-337 (1995)) as a template to amplify a DNA fragment containing the kanamycin resistant gene and its promoter.
  • pDG783 Anne-Marie Guerout-Fleury et al., Gene, 167, 335-337 (1995)
  • the obtained DNA fragment was purified by SUPREC02 produced by the Takara Shuzo, then fully digested with restriction enzymes HindIII and HincII, and blunt-ended.
  • the blunt-ending was attained by using Blunting Kit produced by Takara Shuzo.
  • This DNA fragment was mixed with and ligated to a DNA fragment, which had been obtained by performing PCR using the primers shown as SEQ ID NOS: 6 and 7 and pHSG399 (see S. Takeshita et al., Gene, 61, 63-74 (1987)) as a template, purifying and blunt-ending the resulted amplification product.
  • the ligation reaction was performed by DNA Ligation Kit ver. 2 produced by Takara Shuzo.
  • Competent cells of Escherichia coli JM109 were transformed with the ligated DNA, plated on L madium (10 g/L of Bacto-trypton, 5 g/L of Bacto-yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 10 ⁇ g/ml of IPTG (isopropyl- ⁇ -D-thiogalactopyranoside), 40 ⁇ g/ml of X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl- ⁇ -D-galactoside) and 25 ⁇ g/ml of kanamycin, and cultured overnight. The emerged blue colonies were picked up, and separated into single colonies to obtain transformant strains.
  • L madium 10 g/L of Bacto-trypton, 5 g/L of Bacto-yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2
  • IPTG isopropyl- ⁇ -
  • Plasmids were prepared from the transformant strains by the alkali method (Text for Bioengineering Experiments, Edited by the Society for Bioscience and Bioengineering, Japan, p.105, Baifukan, 1992), and restriction maps were prepared.
  • One having a restriction map equivalent to that of FIG. 2 was designated as pK1.
  • This plasmid is stably retained in Escherichia coli , and imparts kanamycin resistance to a host.
  • it contains the lacZ′ gene, it is suitably used as a cloning vector.
  • the plasmid pAM330 extracted from Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 was fully digested with a restriction enzyme HindIII, and blunt-ended. This fragment was ligated to a fragment obtained by fully digesting the aforementioned pK1 with a restriction enzyme BsaAI. Breveibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 was transformed with the ligated DNA. The transformation was performed by the electric pulse method (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791).
  • Transformants were selected on a M-CM2B plate (10 g/L of polypeptone, 10 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl, 10 ⁇ g/L of biotin, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 25 ⁇ g/ml of kanamycin. After cultivation for 2 days, colonies were picked up, and separated into single colonies to obtain the transformants. Plasmid DNA was prepared from the transformants, and restriction maps were prepared. One having the same restriction map as that of FIG. 3 was designated as pSFK6. This plasmid can autonomously replicate in both of Escherichia coli and coryneform bacteria, and imparts kanamycin resistance to a host.
  • the aforementioned pSFK6 was digested with SmaI and HindIII.
  • the product was ligated to carA and carB gene fragments, which had been obtained by digesting the plasmid p19 prepared from JEF8/p19F in a conventional manner with a restriction enzyme XbaI, blunt-ending the product by using Blunting Kit produced by Takara Shuzo, and further digesting the product with a restriction enzyme HindIII, to obtain a plasmid pcarAB, which contained the carA and carB genes and could autonomously replicate in coryneform bacteria.
  • pcarAB was introduced into Brevibacterium flavum AJ11345 and AJ11336 by the electric pulse method (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791). Transformants were selected on a M-CM2B plate (10 g/L of polypeptone, 10 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of glucose, 5 g/L of NaCl, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 25 ⁇ g/ml of kanamycin as kanamycin resistant strains. As control, transformants were obtained by similarly introducing pSFK6 into AJ11345 and AJ11336.
  • Each of the aforementioned transformants was plated on an agar medium containing 0.5 g/dl of glucose, 1 g/dl of polypeptone, 1 g of yeast extract, 0.5 g/dl of NaCl and 5 ⁇ g/l of chloramphenicol, and cultured at 31.5° C. for 20 hours.
  • One inoculating loop of the obtained cells were inoculated to a medium containing 4 g/dl of glucose, 6.5 g/dL of ammonium sulfate, 0.1 g/dl of KH 2 PO 4 , 0.04 g/dl of MgSO 4 , 0.001 g/dl of FeSO 4 , 0.01 g/dl of MnSO 4 , 5 ⁇ g/dl of VB 1 , 5 ⁇ g/dl of biotin, 45 mg/dl of soybean hydrolysates (as an amount of N), and cultured in a flask at 31.5° C. for 50 hours with shaking.
  • the amounts of L-arginine produced by each strain were shown in Table 1.

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Abstract

A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d):
(a) a polypeptide which has at least the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing,
(b) a polypeptide which has at least the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(c) a polypeptide which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing,
(d) a polypeptide which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 shown in Sequence Listing including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2.

Description

    BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
  • 1. Field of the Invention [0001]
  • The present invention relates to carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of coryneform bacteria, and a gene therefor. The gene can be utilized for production of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase and subunits thereof, breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria and nucleic acid-producing bacteria and so forth. [0002]
  • 2. Description of the Related Art [0003]
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase is an enzyme that catalyzes the reactions producing carbamoyl phosphate from carbonic acid, ATP and glutamine. Carbamoyl phosphate produced by these reactions serves as a source of carbamoyl group required for the reaction producing citrulline from ornithine in the L-arginine biosynthetic pathway. Furthermore, carbamoyl aspartate produced from aspartic acid and carbamoyl phosphate is one of the intermediates of the pyrimidine biosynthesis system including uridine 5′-monophosphate. [0004]
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase consists of two subunits, and it has been known for bacteria belonging to the genus Escherichia or Bacillus that those subunits are encoded by carA and carB genes. [0005]
  • However, as for coryneform bacteria, there have been no findings about the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity and enzymes therefor, and any genes therefor have not been elucidated. [0006]
  • Incidentally, it has been reported that when a transformant of [0007] Escherichia coli to which introduced a plasmid harboring the genes carA, carB, argI and arg box was cultured in the medium added with glutamine which is substrate of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, the concentration of intracellular L-arginine was the same as that of a control strain to which only the vector was introduced. However, when the transformant was cultured in a medium added with glutamine accompanied with ornithine which is a substrate of ArgI together with carbamoyl phosphate, the concentration of intracellular L-arginine was higher than that of the control strain (Malamy M. et al., Applied Environmental Microbiology, 63(1), 33 (1997)). From these result, it was suggested that the rate-determining step of synthesis of L-arginine is supply of ornithine.
  • There was thought to be a possibility that the rate-determining step of supply of ornithine is N-acetylglutamine synthetase (ArgA). ArgA suffers feedback inhibition by the final product, L-arginine, in the biosynthesis pathway of [0008] Escherichia coli.
  • As for the strain in which argA gene coding for feedback inhibition-desensitized ArgA was amplified by plasmid, the concentration of intracellular L-arginine was increased even in a medium added with only glutamine as well as in a medium added with both glutamine and ornithine. However, farther increase of concentration of intracellular L-arginine was not observed in the case that the strain was cultured with addition of glutamine, or glutamine and ornithin, also in the case that the both of carA and carB genes were further amplified in the strain (Malamy M. et al., [0009] Applied Environmental Microbiology, 64(5), 1805 (1998)).
  • On the other hand, any attempts have not been reported to enhance L-arginine productibity of microorganisms by utilizing a gene coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase derived from coryneform bacterium. [0010]
    • SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
  • An object of the present invention is to provide carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of coryneform bacteria, a gene coding for it, and a method for producing L-arginine with a microorganism utilizing the gene. [0011]
  • The inventors of the present invention eagerly studied in order to achieve the aforementioned object. As a result, the inventors successfully obtained a DNA fragment containing the carA gene and the carB gene from a wild strain of [0012] Breveibacterium lactofermentum by utilizing a carB-deficient strain of Escherichia coli, and thus accomplished the present invention.
  • That is, the present invention provides the followings. [0013]
  • (1) A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (A) or (B): [0014]
  • (A) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, [0015]
  • (B) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3. [0016]
  • (2) A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (C) or (D): [0017]
  • (C) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, [0018]
  • (D) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2. [0019]
  • (3) A DNA fragment encoding a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity. [0020]
  • (4) A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d): [0021]
  • (a) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, [0022]
  • (b) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, [0023]
  • (c) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, [0024]
  • (d) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2. [0025]
  • (5) The DNA fragment according to (1), which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 430 to 1461 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. [0026]
  • (6) The DNA fragment according to (2), which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 1756 to 4809 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. [0027]
  • (7) The DNA fragment according to (3), which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 430 to 4809 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1. [0028]
  • (8) A protein which comprises a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d): [0029]
  • (a) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, [0030]
  • (b) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, [0031]
  • (c) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3, [0032]
  • (d) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2. [0033]
  • (9) A coryneform bacterium which is transformed with a DNA fragment according to any one of (1) to (7). [0034]
  • (10) A microorganism which has enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, and has L-arginine productivity. [0035]
  • (11) The microorganism according to (10), wherein the enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity is obtained by increasing copy number of DNA encoding carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the microorganism, or by modifying an expression regulation sequence so that expression of the gene encoding carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase in the cell should be enhanced. [0036]
  • (12) The microorganism according to (11), wherein the DNA is a DNA fragment according to any one of (1) to (7). [0037]
  • (13) The microorganism according to (12), which is a coryneform bacterium. [0038]
  • (14) A method for producing of L-arginine, comprising the steps of culturing a coryneform bacterium according to any one of (10) to (13) in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium. [0039]
  • The present invention provides genes coding for the subunits that constitute carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase. The gene can be utilized for production of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase and subunits thereof, breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria and nucleic acid-producing bacteria and so forth. Aditionally, L-arginine can be produced efficiently according to the present invention.[0040]
    • BRIEF EXPLANATION OF THE DRAWINGS
  • FIG. 1 shows the structure of plasmid p19 containing the carA gene and carB gene. [0041]
  • FIG. 2 shows a construction process of plasmid pK1. [0042]
  • FIG. 3 shows a construction process of plasmid pSFK6. [0043]
    • DETAIL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  • Hereafter, the present invention will be explained in detail. [0044]
  • <1> DNA of the Present Invention [0045]
  • The DNA of the present invention can be obtained from a chromosome DNA library of coryneform bacteria prepared with vectors such as plasmids by selection of the DNA using a microorganism which is deficient in carA or carB, for example, [0046] Escherichia coli RC50 (carA50, tsx−273, λ−, rpsL135 (strR), malT1 (λR), xy1A7, thi−1; Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)), Escherichia coli JEF8 (thr−31, ΔcarB, relA−, metB1, Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)) and so forth. Because a microorganism which is deficient in carA or carB exhibits L-arginine and uracil auxotrophy, a DNA fragment can be obtained by transforming such a microorganism with a chromosome DNA library, selecting clones in which the auxotrophy is complemented, and recovering a recombinant vector from the selected transformants.
  • The coryneform bacteria used for preparing a chromosome DNA library are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include bacteria having been hitherto classified into the genus Brevibacterium but united into the genus Corynebacterium at present ([0047] Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 41, 255 (1981)), and include bacteria belonging to the genus Brevibacterium closely relative to the genus Corynebacterium, more specifically, wild strains of Breveibacterium lactofermentum and so forth. Chromosome DNA of coryneform bacteria can be prepared by, for example, the method of Saito and Miura (Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 72, 619, (1963)), the method of K. S. Kirby (Biochem. J., 64, 405, (1956)) and so forth.
  • A chromosome DNA library can be obtained by partially digesting chromosome DNA with suitable restriction enzymes, ligating each of the obtained DNA fragments to a vector DNA autonomously replicable in [0048] Escherichia coli cells to prepare a recombinant DNA, and introducing the DNA into Escherichia coli. The vector is not particularly limited so long as it is a vector usually used for genetic cloning, and plasmid vectors such as pUC19, pUC18, pUC118, and pUC119, phage vectors such as λ phage DNA and so forth can be used. Further, a vector autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells may also be used. Such a vector can be constructed by ligating a vector for Escherichia coli and pAM330, which is a cryptic plasmid of Breveibacterium lactofermentum (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 58-67699).
  • Specific examples of the vector autonomously replicable within both of [0049] Escherichia coli and coryneform bacterium cells include pSAC4 (see the examples mentioned below), pHK4 (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-7491) and so forth. Escherichia coli HB101 harboring pHK4 was designated as Escherichia coli AJ13136, and it was deposited at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (postal code 305-8566, 1-3 Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan) on Aug. 1, 1995, and received an accession number of FERM BP-5186.
  • The transformation of [0050] Escherichia coli cells can be performed by, for example, the method of D. A. Morrison (Methods in Enzymology, 68, 326, 1979), the method of treating recipient cells with calcium chloride so as to increase the permeability of DNA (Mandel, M. and Higa, A., J. Mol. Biol., 53, 159 (1970)) and so forth. As for methods for preparation of chromosome DNA library, preparation of plasmid DNA, and digestion and ligation of DNA, as well as methods for PCR, preparation of oligonucleotides and hybridization mentioned hereinafter, conventional methods well known to those skilled in the art can be used. Such methods are described in Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. and Maniatis, T., “Molecular Cloning, A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, (1989) and so forth.
  • A nucleotide sequence of a DNA fragment containing carA and carB obtained as described above is represented as SEQ ID NO: 1 in Sequence Listing. This sequence contains two open reading frames (ORF, nucleotide numbers 283 to 1461 and nucleotide numbers 1756 to 4809). The upstream ORF is carA, and the downstream ORF is carB. The amino acid sequences encoded by these ORFs are shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 3, respectively. According to the present invention, a peptide encoded by carA is referred to as a small subunit, and a peptide encoded by carB is referred to as a large subunit. As for the coding region of carA, GTG of the nucleotide numbers 283 to 285 is indicated as the initiation codon in Sequence Listing. However, GTG of the nucleotide numbers 415 to 417 or ATG of the nucleotide numbers 430 to 432 may possibly be the initiation codon. In any case, an active small subunit can be obtained by using a longer open reading frame for the upstream region for the expression of carA. The amino acid corresponding to the GTG as the initiation codon is indicated as valine for each subunit, but it may be methionine, valine or formylmethionine. [0051]
  • The small subunit of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the present invention is, for example, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 45 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2, polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 1 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 or the like. The large subunit of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the present invention is, for example, a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence shown as SEQ ID NO: 3. [0052]
  • According to the present invention, the DNA coding for the small subunit may be one coding for an amino acid sequence which contains the amino acid sequence of the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, or one coding for a polypeptide which can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with the large subunit. [0053]
  • According to the present invention, the DNA coding for the large subunit may be one coding for an amino acid sequence which contains the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, or one coding for a polypeptide which can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with the small subunit. Alternatively, it may be one coding for a protein which has the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and has a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity. [0054]
  • Furthermore, a DNA that encodes carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase containing a mutation or mutations in the small subunit or the large subunit, or both of them also falls within the scope of the DNA of the present invention. [0055]
  • The term “several amino acids” preferably means 1 to 20 amino acids, more preferably 1 to 10 amino acids. [0056]
  • DNA, which encodes the substantially same peptide as the small subunit or the large subunit as described above, is obtained, for example, by modifying the nucleotide sequence of the DNA encoding the small subunit or the large subunit, for example, by means of the site-directed mutagenesis method so that one or more amino acid residues at a specified site of the gene involve substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion. DNA modified as described above may be obtained by the conventionally known mutation treatment. The mutation treatment includes a method for treating DNA coding for the small subunit or the large subunit in vitro, for example, with hydroxylamine, and a method for treating a microorganism, for example, a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia harboring DNA coding for the small subunit and the large subunit with ultraviolet irradiation or a mutating agent such as N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (NTG) and nitrous acid usually used for the mutation treatment. [0057]
  • The substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of nucleotide as described above also includes mutation (mutant or variant) which naturally occurs, for example, the difference in strains, species or genera of the microorganism having the small subunit and/or the large subunit. [0058]
  • The DNA, which encodes substantially the same protein as carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, is obtained by expressing DNA having mutation as described above in an appropriate cell, and investigating the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of an expressed product. The carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can be measured by the known method ([0059] Journal of Genral Microbiology, 136, 1177-1183 (1990)). The DNA, which encodes substantially the same protein as carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase, is also obtained by isolating DNA which is hybridizable with DNA having, for example, a nucleotide sequence corresponding to nucleotide numbers of 283 to 1461 or 1756 to 4809 of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, under a stringent condition, and which encodes a protein having the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, from DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having mutation or from a cell harboring it. The “stringent condition” referred to herein is a condition under which so-called specific hybrid is formed, and non-specific hybrid is not formed. It is difficult to clearly express this condition by using any numerical value. However, for example, the stringent condition includes a condition under which DNA's having high homology, for example, DNA's having homology of not less than 70%, preferably not less than 80%, more preferably not less than 90% are hybridized with each other, and DNA's having homology lower than the above are not hybridized with each other. Alternatively, the stringent condition is exemplified by a condition under which DNA's are hybridized with each other at a salt concentration corresponding to an ordinary condition of washing in Southern hybridization, i.e., 60° C., 1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, preferably 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS.
  • As a probe, a partial sequence of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 can also be used. Such a probe may be prepared by PCR using oligonucleotides produced based on the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 as primers, and a DNA fragment containing the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 as a template. When a DNA fragment in a length of about 300 bp is used as the probe, the conditions of washing for the hybridization consist of, for example, 50° C., 2×SSC, and 0.1% SDS. [0060]
  • Because the nucleotide sequence of the DNA of the present invention has been elucidated, the DNA of the present invention can be obtained by amplifying it from coryneform bacterial chromosome DNA through polymerase chain reaction (PCR: polymerase chain reaction; see White, T. J. et al., [0061] Trends Genet., 5, 185 (1989)) utilizing oligonucleotides prepared based on that nucleotide sequence as primers, or by selecting it from a coryneform bacterial chromosome DNA library by hybridization utilizing an oligonucleotide prepared based on that nucleotide sequence as a probe. As nucleotide sequences of the primers used for PCR, a region upstream from the nucleotide number 283, preferably a region upstream from the nucleotide number 185 of SEQ ID NO: 1 can suitably be selected as the 5′ primer, and a region downstream from the nucleotide number 4809 of SEQ ID NO: 1 can suitably be selected as the 3′ primer.
  • Examples of the host for the expression of the DNA of the present invention include various bacteria such as [0062] Escherichia coli and coryneform bacteria including Breveibacterium lactofermentum and Brevibacterium flavum, eukaryotic cells such as those of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and so forth. In order to introduce the DNA of the present invention into these hosts, the host cells can be transformed with a recombinant vector obtained by inserting the DNA of the present invention into a vector selected according to the nature of the host in which the DNA is to be expressed. This procedure can be performed by a method well known to those skilled in the art. Specific examples of the method include the methods used for transformation of Escherichia coli mentioned above, the method in which competent cells are prepared from cells at the proliferating stage to introduce DNA, as reported for Bacillus subtilis (Duncan, C. H., Wilson, G. A. and Young, F. E., Gene, 1, 153 (1977)), the method in which DNA recipient cells are allowed to be in a state of protoplasts or spheroplasts capable of incorporating recombinant DNA with ease to introduce recombinant DNA into the DNA recipient cells, as known for Bacillus subtilis, actinomycetes, and yeasts (Chang, S. and Choen, S. N., Molec. Gen. Genet., 168, 111 (1979); Bibb, M. J., Ward, J. M. and Hopwood, O. A., Nature, 274, 398 (1978); Hinnen, A., Hicks, J. B. and Fink, G. R., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 75, 1929 (1978)), the electric pulse method useful for cryneform bacteria (refer to Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 2-207791) and so forth.
  • The DNA to be introduced into the host such as those mentioned above may be DNA containing either carA or carB, or DNA containing both of them. Further, in order to attain efficient expression of these genes, a promoter functioning in the host cells such as lac, trp and P[0063] L may be ligated at a position upstream from carA or carB.
  • Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase or its subunits can be produced by culturing a transformant such as those mentioned above under a condition that allows the expression of carA or carB. The DNA of the present invention can also be utilized for breeding of L-arginine-producing bacteria or nucleic acid-producing bacteria such as uracil-producing bacteria. That is, a transformant introduced with the DNA of the present invention, in particular, one introduced with either carA or carB or both of them, should have increased carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity compared with non-transformants. Consequently, its productivity for L-arginine or nucleic acid such as uracil is improved. [0064]
  • <2> Method for Producing L-Arginine According to the Present Invention [0065]
  • L-Arginine can efficiently be produced by culturing a microorganism that has enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, and has L-arginine productivity in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium. [0066]
  • Specific examples of the microorganism having L-arginine productivity include coryneform bacteria, bacteria belonging to the genera Bacillus, Serratia and Escherichia, yeast species belonging to the genus Saccharomyces or Candida. Of these, coryneform bacteria are preferred. [0067]
  • Exemplary specific species include [0068] Bacillus subtilis as a bacterium belonging to the genus Bacillus, Serratia marcescens as a bacterium belonging to the genus Serratia, Escherichia coli as a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia, Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a yeast species belonging to the genus Saccharomyces, Candida tropicalis as a yeast species belonging to the genus Candida and so forth.
  • Exemplary microorganisms having L-arginine productivity include [0069] Bacillus subtilis resistant to 5-azauracil, 6-azauracil, 2-thiouracil, 5-fluorouracil, 5-bromouracil, 5-azacytosine and so forth, Bacillus subtilis resistant to arginine hydroxamate and 2-thiouracil, Bacillus subtilis resistant to arginine hydroxamate and 6-azauracil (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 49-1268191),
  • [0070] Bacillus subtilis resistant to histidine analogues or tryptophan analogues (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 52-114092),
  • a mutant of [0071] Bacillus subtilis exhibiting auxotrophy for at least one of methionine, histidine, threonine, proline, isoleucine, lysine, adenine, guanine and uracil (or uracil precursor) (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 52-99289),
  • [0072] Bacillus subtilis resistant to arginine hydroxamate (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 51-6754),
  • [0073] Serratia marcescens exhibiting succinic acid auxotrophy or resistance to nucleic acid base analogues (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 58-9692), Serratia marcescens deficient in ability to metabolize arginine and exhibiting resistance to arginine antagonists and canavanine and auxotorophy for lysine (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 52-8729),
  • [0074] Escherichia coli introduced with the argA gene (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-5693),
  • [0075] Saccharomyces cerevisiae resistant to arginine, arginine hydroxamate, homoarginine, D-arginine and canavanine, or resistant to arginine hydroxamate and 6-azauracil (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 53-143288),
  • [0076] Candida tropicalis resistant to canavanine (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 53-3586) and so forth.
  • Coryneform bacteria include those bacteria having been hitherto classified into the genus Brevibacterium but united into the genus Corynebacterium at present ([0077] Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol., 41, 255 (1981)), and include bacteria belonging to the genus Brevibacterium closely relative to the genus Corynebacterium. Examples of such coryneform bacteria are listed below.
  • [0078] Corynebacterium acetoacidophilum
  • [0079] Corynebacterium acetoglutamicum
  • [0080] Corynebacterium alkanolyticum
  • [0081] Corynebacterium callunae
  • [0082] Corynebacterium glutamicum
  • [0083] Corynebacterium lilium (Corynebacterium glutamicum)
  • [0084] Corynebacterium melassecola
  • [0085] Corynebacterium thermoaminogenes
  • [0086] Corynebacterium herculis
  • [0087] Brevibacterium divaricatum (Corynebacterium glutamicum)
  • [0088] Brevibacterium flavum (Corynebacterium glutamicum)
  • [0089] Brevibacterium immariophilum
  • [0090] Breveibacterium lactofermentum (Corynebacterium glutamicum)
  • [0091] Brevibacterium roseum
  • [0092] Brevibacterium saccharolyticum
  • [0093] Brevibacterium thiogenitalis
  • [0094] Brevibacterium album
  • [0095] Brevibacterium cerinum
  • [0096] Microbacterium ammoniaphilum
  • The coryneform bacteria that have the L-arginine productivity are not particularly limited so long as they have the L-arginine productivity. They include, for example, wild-type strains of coryneform bacteria; coryneform bacteria resistant to certain agents including sulfa drugs, 2-thiazolealanine, α-amino-β-hydroxyvaleric acid and the like; coryneform bacteria exhibiting L-histidine, L-proline, L-threonine, L-isoleucine, L-methionine, or L-tryptophan auxotrophy in addition to the resistance to 2-thiazolealanine (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 54-44096); coryneform bacteria resistant to ketomalonic acid, fluoromalonic acid, or monofluoroacetic acid (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 57-18989); coryneform bacteria resistant to argininol (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-24075); coryneform bacteria resistant to X-guanidine (X represents a derivative of fatty acid or aliphatic chain, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-186995) and so forth. [0097]
  • Specifically, the following bacterial strains can be exemplified. [0098]
  • [0099] Brevibacterium flavum AJ11169 (FERM BP-6892)
  • [0100] Breveibacterium lactofermentum AJ12092 (FERM BP-6906)
  • [0101] Brevibacterium flavum AJ11336 (FERM BP-6893)
  • [0102] Brevibacterium flavum AJ11345 (FERM BP-6893)
  • [0103] Breveibacterium lactofermentum AJ12430 (FERM BP-2228)
  • The AJ11169 strain and the AJ12092 strain are the 2-thiazolealanine resistant strains mentioned in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 54-44096, the AJ11336 strain is the strain having argininol resistance and sulfadiazine resistance mentioned in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-24075, the AJ11345 strain is the strain having argininol resistance, 2-thiazolealanine resistance, sulfaguanidine resistance, and exhibiting histidine auxotrophy mentioned in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-24075, and the AJ12430 strain is the strain having octylguanidine resistance and 2-thiazolealanine resistance mentioned in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-186995. [0104]
  • The intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity of such microorganisms having the L-arginine productivity as mentioned above can be enhanced by, for example, increasing copy number of a gene coding for the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase in the cells of the aforementioned microorganisms. The enhancement of the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can also be achieved by, in addition to the aforementioned gene amplification, modifying an expression regulation sequence for the DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase so that expression of the DNA gene coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase should be enhanced. Specifically, an expression regulation sequence such as a promoter for a gene coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase on the chromosomal DNA or a plasmid can be replaced with a stronger one (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 1-215280). Strong promoters, which function in cells of coryneform bacteria, include lac promoter, tac promoter, trp promoter, of [0105] Escherichia coli (Y. Morinaga, M. Tsuchiya, K. Miwa and K. Sano, J. Biotech., 5, 305-312 (1987)) and the like. In addition, trp promoter of Corynebacterium bacteria is also a preferable promoter (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 62-195294). By the replacement with these promoters the carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity is enhanced. The modification of expression regulation sequence may be combined with the increasing of the copy number of DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase. Further, the intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity can be enhanced by introducing one or more mutations into the enzyme protein of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase so that the specific activity of the enzyme should be increased.
  • Examples of the DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase include the aforementioned carA and carB genes of [0106] Breveibacterium lactofermentum and one containing both of them.
  • Examples of the vector for introducing DNA coding for carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase into a microorganism include vectors autonomously replicable in cells of the microorganism. Specifically, the aforementioned vectors autonomously replicable in [0107] Escherichia coli cells, and the vectors autonomously replicable in both of Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells.
  • The medium used for culturing a microorganism having enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity and L-arginine productivity obtained as described above may be a well-known medium conventionally used for the production of amino acids by fermentation. That is, it is a usual medium that contains a carbon source, nitrogen source, inorganic ions, and other organic components as required. [0108]
  • As the carbon source, it is possible to use sugars such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, fructose and starch hydrolysates; alcohols such as glycerol and sorbitol; or organic acids such as fumaric acid, citric acid and succinic acid and so forth. [0109]
  • As the nitrogen source, it is possible to use inorganic ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and ammonium phosphate, organic nitrogen such as soybean hydrolysates, ammonia gas, aqueous ammonia and so forth. [0110]
  • The medium preferably contains a suitable amount of required substance such as vitamin B[0111] 1 and L-homoserine, yeast extract and so forth as trace amount organic nutrients. Other than those substances, a small amount of potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, iron ions, manganese ions and so forth may be added to the medium.
  • The cultivation is preferably performed under an aerobic condition for 1-7 days. Cultivation temperature is preferably 24-37° C., and pH of the medium during the cultivation is preferably 5-9. Inorganic or organic acidic or alkaline substances, ammonia gas and so forth may be used for adjusting pH. L-Arginine can usually be recovered from the fermentation medium by a combination of known techniques such as ion exchange resin method. [0112]
    • Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention Hereafter, the present invention will be explained more specifically with reference to the following examples. EXAMPLE 1 Cloning of carA and carB of Breveibacterium lactofermentum
  • <1> Preparation of Chromosome DNA of [0113] Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869
  • [0114] Brevibacterium lactofermentun ATCC13869 was inoculated to 100 ml of T-Y culture medium (1% of Bacto-Trypton (Difco), 0.5% of Bacto-Yeast Extract (Difco), 0.5% of NaCl (pH 7.2)), and cultured at a temperature of 31.5° C. for 8 hours to obtain a culture. The culture was centrifuged at 3,000 r.p.m. for 15 minutes to obtain 0.5 g of wet bacterial cells, and chromosome DNA was obtained from the bacterial cells according to the method of Saito and Miura (Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 72, 619 (1963)). Then, 60 μg of the chromosome DNA and 3 units of restriction enzyme Sau3AI were each mixed in 10 mM Tris-HCl buffer (containing 50 mM NaCl, 10 MM MgSO4 and 1 mM dithiothreitol (pH 7.4)), and allowed to react at a temperature of 37° C. for 30 minutes. The reaction mixture was subjected to phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation in a conventional manner to obtain 50 μg of chromosome DNA fragments of Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 digested with Sau3AI.
  • <2> Preparation of Gene Library of [0115] Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 using Plasmid Vector DNA
  • As a plasmid vector DNA autonomously replicable in both of [0116] Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells, pSAC4 was used. pSAC4 was prepared as follows. In order to make a vector pHSG399 for Escherichia coli (Takara Shuzo) autonomously replicable in coryneform bacterium cells, a replication origin of the previously obtained plasmid pHM1519 autonomously replicable in coryneform bacterium cells (Miwa, K. et al., Agric. Biol. Chem., 48 (1984) 2901-2903) was introduced into the vector (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 5-7491). Specifically, pHM1519 was digested with restriction enzymes BamHI and KpnI to obtain a gene fragment containing the replication origin, and the obtained fragment was blunt-ended by using Blunting Lit produced by Takara Shuzo, and inserted into the SalI site of pHSG399 using a SalI linker (produced by Takara Shuzo) to obtain pSAC4.
  • In 50 mM Tris-HCl buffer (containing 100 mM NaCl and 10 mM magnesium sulfate (pH 7.4)), 20 μg of pSAC4 and 200 units of a restriction enzyme BamHI were mixed, and allowed to react at a temperature of 37° C. for 2 hours to obtain a digestion solution. This solution was subjected to phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation in a conventional manner. Then, in order to inhibit re-ligation of the DNA fragments derived from the plasmid vector, the DNA fragments were dephosphorylated with bacterial alkaline phosphatase according to the method described in Molecular Cloning, 2nd Edition (J. Sambrook, E. F. Fritsch and T. Maniatis, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, p1.56 (1989)), and subjected to phenol extraction and ethanol precipitation in a conventional manner. [0117]
  • To 66 mM Tris-HCl buffer (pH 7.5) containing 66 mM magnesium chloride, 10 mM dithiothreitol and 10 mM ATP, 1 μg of the pSAC4 digested with BamHI, 1 μg of the chromosome DNA fragments of [0118] Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 digested with Sau3AI obtained in Example 1, and 2 units of T4 DNA ligase (produced by Takara Shuzo) were added, and allowed to react at a temperature of 16° C. for 16 hours to ligate the DNA. Then, Escherichia coli DH5 was transformed with this DNA mixture in a conventional manner, and plated on an L agar medium containing 170 μg/ml of chloramphenicol to obtain about 20,000 colonies, which were used as a gene library.
  • <3> Transformation of carB-deficient Strain of [0119] Escherichia coli (JEF8)
  • The carB-deficient strain of [0120] Escherichia coli, JEF8 (thr31 31, ΔcarB, relA−, metB1; Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)) was transformed with a recombinant DNA mixture of the aforementioned gene library in a conventional manner. Transformants of about 15000 strains were obtained as Cm resistant strains. These transformants were replicated on a minimum medium (5 g/L of glucose, 12.8 g/L of Na2HPO4, 3 g/L of KH2PO4, 0.5 g/L of NaCl, 1 g/L of NH4Cl, 40 μg/ml of L-threonine, 40 μg/ml of L-methionine) not containing arginine and uracil, and the minimum medium not containing L-arginine, but containing only 50 μg/ml of uracil, and screened for a strain in which arginine auxotrophy and uracil auxotrophy were restored, or a strain in which arginine auxotrophy was restored. Strains in which arginine auxotrophy was restored recovered both of arginine auxotrophy and uracil auxotrophy. A plasmid harbored in one of such strains was designated as p19, and the strain harboring it was designated as JEF8/p19. The structure of p19 is shown in FIG. 1.
  • The [0121] Escherichia coli JEF8/p19 was designated as Escherichia coli AJ13574, and it was deposited at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, Ministry of International Trade and Industry (postal code 305-8566, 1-3 Higashi 1-chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, Japan) on Jan. 28, 1999, and received an accession number of FERM P-17180, and transferred from the original deposit to international deposit based on Budapest Treaty on Jan. 6, 20000, and has been deposited as deposition number of FERM BP-6989.
  • <4> Acquisition of Plasmid Complementing Arginine and Uracil Auxotrophy [0122]
  • A plasmid was prepared from JEF8/p19 in a conventional manner, and used for re-transformation of the JEF8 strain. The obtained transformants could grow in the minimum culture medium not containing L-arginine and uracil, and its auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil was restored. Therefore, it was found that that the plasmid contained a gene complementing the auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil caused by deletion of carB in the [0123] Escherichia coli strain.
  • Further, this plasmid was introduced into the carA mutant of [0124] Escherichia coli, RC50 (carA50, tsx−273, λ−, rpsL135 (strR), malT1 (λR), xylA7, thi−1; Mol. Gen. Genet., 133, 299 (1974)). Since the strain introduced with the plasmid was able to grow in the minimum culture medium not containing arginine and uracil, the plasmid was also found to have a gene complementing the auxotrophy for both of L-arginine and uracil caused by carA mutation of the Escherichia coli strain.
  • <5> Nucleotide Sequence Analysis of p19 [0125]
  • Among the DNA sequence of p19, the nucleotide sequence of about 4.8 kb from the HindIII side of the multi-cloning site of the vector to the HindIII site contained in the insertion DNA fragment was determined. The nucleotide sequencing was performed by using Rohdamin Terminator Cycle Sequencing Kit (produced by ABI) according to the method of Sanger. The obtained nucleotide sequence is shown as SEQ ID NO: 1 in Sequence Listing. From analysis of a consensus sequence which located in the upstream region of this gene, it was estimated that two open reading frames (open reading frame from 283rd G to 1461st A and open reading frame from 1756th G to 4809th T) were contained in this sequence. The nucleotides of the 162nd (TGCATA) to 194th (TATAAT), the 185th (TGCATA) to 213rd (TAAACT), the 203rd (TTGAAT) 230th (TATCAA), or the 224th (TTATCA) to 251st (TAAAAA) can be estimated to be a promoter region for regulating the transcription. [0126]
  • The amino acid sequences encoded by these open reading frames are represented with the nucleotide sequences. The amino acid sequences were also shown in SEQ ID NOS: 2 and 3. A protein database (GenBank CDS) was searched for sequences exhibiting homology with these amino acid sequences. As a result, it was found that the 5′ open reading frame showed high homology (about 40%) with carA gene products of [0127] Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis and so forth, and the 3′ open reading frame showed high homology with known carB gene products of Escherichia coli, Bacillus stearothermophilus and so forth (about 40 to 50%). Therefore, it was suggested that these open reading frames coded for carA and carB, respectively.
  • <6> Introduction of carA and carB into Wild-Type Strain of Coryneform Bacteria [0128]
  • p19 was introduced into the [0129] Brevibacterium flavum wild strain 2247 (AJ14067) by the electric pulse method (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791). The transformants were selected as chloramphenicol resistant strains on a CM2G plate medium (containing 10 g of polypeptone, 10 g of yeast extract, 5 g of glucose, 5 g of NaCl, 15 g of agar in 1 L of pure water, pH 7.2) containing 5 μg/ml of chloramphenicol to obtain 2247/p19.
    • EXAMPLE 2 Production of L-arginine by Coryneform Bacteria Introduced with carA and carB
  • <1> Preparation of Shuttle Vector [0130]
  • First, a plasmid vector autonomously replicable in both of [0131] Escherichia coli cells and coryneform bacterium cells was newly produced as a plasmid used for introducing the carA and carB genes into coryneform bacteria.
  • A vector containing a drug resistance gene of [0132] Streptococcus faecalis was constructed first. The kanamycin resistant gene of Streptococcus faecalis was amplified by PCR from a known plasmid containing that gene. The nucleotide sequence of the kanamycin resistant gene of Streptococcus faecalis has already been clarified (Trieu-Cuot, P. and Courvalin, P., Gene, 23(3), 331-341 (1983)). The primers shown as SEQ ID NOS: 4 and 5 were synthesized based on that sequence, and PCR was performed by using pDG783 (Anne-Marie Guerout-Fleury et al., Gene, 167, 335-337 (1995)) as a template to amplify a DNA fragment containing the kanamycin resistant gene and its promoter.
  • The obtained DNA fragment was purified by SUPREC02 produced by the Takara Shuzo, then fully digested with restriction enzymes HindIII and HincII, and blunt-ended. The blunt-ending was attained by using Blunting Kit produced by Takara Shuzo. This DNA fragment was mixed with and ligated to a DNA fragment, which had been obtained by performing PCR using the primers shown as SEQ ID NOS: 6 and 7 and pHSG399 (see S. Takeshita et al., [0133] Gene, 61, 63-74 (1987)) as a template, purifying and blunt-ending the resulted amplification product. The ligation reaction was performed by DNA Ligation Kit ver. 2 produced by Takara Shuzo. Competent cells of Escherichia coli JM109 (produced by Takara Shuzo) were transformed with the ligated DNA, plated on L madium (10 g/L of Bacto-trypton, 5 g/L of Bacto-yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 10 μg/ml of IPTG (isopropyl-β-D-thiogalactopyranoside), 40 μg/ml of X-Gal (5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-β-D-galactoside) and 25 μg/ml of kanamycin, and cultured overnight. The emerged blue colonies were picked up, and separated into single colonies to obtain transformant strains.
  • Plasmids were prepared from the transformant strains by the alkali method (Text for Bioengineering Experiments, Edited by the Society for Bioscience and Bioengineering, Japan, p.105, Baifukan, 1992), and restriction maps were prepared. One having a restriction map equivalent to that of FIG. 2 was designated as pK1. This plasmid is stably retained in [0134] Escherichia coli, and imparts kanamycin resistance to a host. Moreover, since it contains the lacZ′ gene, it is suitably used as a cloning vector.
  • The plasmid pAM330 extracted from [0135] Brevibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 58-67699) was fully digested with a restriction enzyme HindIII, and blunt-ended. This fragment was ligated to a fragment obtained by fully digesting the aforementioned pK1 with a restriction enzyme BsaAI. Breveibacterium lactofermentum ATCC13869 was transformed with the ligated DNA. The transformation was performed by the electric pulse method (see Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791). Transformants were selected on a M-CM2B plate (10 g/L of polypeptone, 10 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl, 10 μg/L of biotin, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 25 μg/ml of kanamycin. After cultivation for 2 days, colonies were picked up, and separated into single colonies to obtain the transformants. Plasmid DNA was prepared from the transformants, and restriction maps were prepared. One having the same restriction map as that of FIG. 3 was designated as pSFK6. This plasmid can autonomously replicate in both of Escherichia coli and coryneform bacteria, and imparts kanamycin resistance to a host.
  • <2> Introduction of carA and carB Genes into Coryneform Bacteria and Production of L-arginine [0136]
  • The aforementioned pSFK6 was digested with SmaI and HindIII. The product was ligated to carA and carB gene fragments, which had been obtained by digesting the plasmid p19 prepared from JEF8/p19F in a conventional manner with a restriction enzyme XbaI, blunt-ending the product by using Blunting Kit produced by Takara Shuzo, and further digesting the product with a restriction enzyme HindIII, to obtain a plasmid pcarAB, which contained the carA and carB genes and could autonomously replicate in coryneform bacteria. [0137]
  • pcarAB was introduced into [0138] Brevibacterium flavum AJ11345 and AJ11336 by the electric pulse method (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2-207791). Transformants were selected on a M-CM2B plate (10 g/L of polypeptone, 10 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of glucose, 5 g/L of NaCl, 15 g/L of agar, pH 7.2) containing 25 μg/ml of kanamycin as kanamycin resistant strains. As control, transformants were obtained by similarly introducing pSFK6 into AJ11345 and AJ11336.
  • Each of the aforementioned transformants was plated on an agar medium containing 0.5 g/dl of glucose, 1 g/dl of polypeptone, 1 g of yeast extract, 0.5 g/dl of NaCl and 5 μg/l of chloramphenicol, and cultured at 31.5° C. for 20 hours. One inoculating loop of the obtained cells were inoculated to a medium containing 4 g/dl of glucose, 6.5 g/dL of ammonium sulfate, 0.1 g/dl of KH[0139] 2PO4, 0.04 g/dl of MgSO4, 0.001 g/dl of FeSO4, 0.01 g/dl of MnSO4, 5 μg/dl of VB1, 5 μg/dl of biotin, 45 mg/dl of soybean hydrolysates (as an amount of N), and cultured in a flask at 31.5° C. for 50 hours with shaking. The amounts of L-arginine produced by each strain were shown in Table 1.
  • The strains introduced with the carA and carB gene showed improved L-arginine productivity compared with the strains introduced only with the vector. [0140]
    TABLE 1
    Strain/plasmid L-arginine (g/dl)
    AJ11345/pSFK6 1.33
    AJ11345/pcarAB 1.39
    AJ11336/pSFK6 0.71
    AJ11336/pcarAB 0.79
  • [0141]
  • 0
    SEQUENCE LISTING
    <160> NUMBER OF SEQ ID NOS: 7
    <210> SEQ ID NO 1
    <211> LENGTH: 4838
    <212> TYPE: DNA
    <213> ORGANISM: Brevibacterium lactofermentum
    <220> FEATURE:
    <221> NAME/KEY: CDS
    <222> LOCATION: (283)..(1461)
    <221> NAME/KEY: CDS
    <222> LOCATION: (1756)..(4809)
    <400> SEQUENCE: 1
    gatccaggaa aaacctggac agcatccggt gcagactttg cgtccaaggc tgaaaacacc 60
    ccatttgagg gccaggaatt cagcgctaag gtcacacaca ccgtgcttcg tggcaaggtg 120
    acttgtgcag acggagttgc gcaagacgct taacgggtgg gtgcatagta tgcacgcgcc 180
    gcattgcata taatgcaatg aattgaataa actacattca gggttatcaa ccagccaatt 240
    tcttttaaaa agacagacac acgaaaggcg acaacagtca cc gtg agt aaa gac 294
    Val Ser Lys Asp
    1
    acc acc acc tac cag gga gtc acc gag atc gga tcc gtt ccg gca tac 342
    Thr Thr Thr Tyr Gln Gly Val Thr Glu Ile Gly Ser Val Pro Ala Tyr
    5 10 15 20
    ctg gtt ctt gca gac gga cgt acc ttc acc gga ttt ggc ttt gga gct 390
    Leu Val Leu Ala Asp Gly Arg Thr Phe Thr Gly Phe Gly Phe Gly Ala
    25 30 35
    atc ggc acc acc ctt ggt gag gca gtg ttc acc acc gcc atg acc ggt 438
    Ile Gly Thr Thr Leu Gly Glu Ala Val Phe Thr Thr Ala Met Thr Gly
    40 45 50
    tac caa gaa acc atg acc gat cct tcc tat cac cgc cag att gtt gtg 486
    Tyr Gln Glu Thr Met Thr Asp Pro Ser Tyr His Arg Gln Ile Val Val
    55 60 65
    gct acc gca cca cag atc ggt aac acc ggc tgg aac gat gag gac aac 534
    Ala Thr Ala Pro Gln Ile Gly Asn Thr Gly Trp Asn Asp Glu Asp Asn
    70 75 80
    gag tcc cgc gac ggc aag att tgg gtt gca ggc ctt gtt atc cgc gac 582
    Glu Ser Arg Asp Gly Lys Ile Trp Val Ala Gly Leu Val Ile Arg Asp
    85 90 95 100
    ctc gca gca cgt gtg tcc aac tgg cgc gcc acc acc tcc ttg cag cag 630
    Leu Ala Ala Arg Val Ser Asn Trp Arg Ala Thr Thr Ser Leu Gln Gln
    105 110 115
    gaa atg gca gac caa ggc atc gtc ggc atc ggc gga atc gac acc cgc 678
    Glu Met Ala Asp Gln Gly Ile Val Gly Ile Gly Gly Ile Asp Thr Arg
    120 125 130
    gca ctg gtt cgc cac ctg cgc aac gaa ggt tcc atc gca gcg ggc atc 726
    Ala Leu Val Arg His Leu Arg Asn Glu Gly Ser Ile Ala Ala Gly Ile
    135 140 145
    ttc tcc ggc gct gac gca cag cgc cca gtt gaa gaa ctc gta gag atc 774
    Phe Ser Gly Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Pro Val Glu Glu Leu Val Glu Ile
    150 155 160
    gtc aag aat cag cca gca atg acc ggc gca aac ctc tcc gtt gag gtc 822
    Val Lys Asn Gln Pro Ala Met Thr Gly Ala Asn Leu Ser Val Glu Val
    165 170 175 180
    tct gct gat gaa acc tac gtc atc gaa gct gag ggc gaa gag cgc cac 870
    Ser Ala Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Ile Glu Ala Glu Gly Glu Glu Arg His
    185 190 195
    acc gtc gtg gcc tac gac ctg ggc att aag caa aac acc cca cgt cgt 918
    Thr Val Val Ala Tyr Asp Leu Gly Ile Lys Gln Asn Thr Pro Arg Arg
    200 205 210
    ttc tct gca cgc ggt gtt cgc acc gtc atc gtg cct gct gaa acc cca 966
    Phe Ser Ala Arg Gly Val Arg Thr Val Ile Val Pro Ala Glu Thr Pro
    215 220 225
    ttg gag gac atc aag cag tac aac cca tca ggc gtg ttt atc tcc aat 1014
    Leu Glu Asp Ile Lys Gln Tyr Asn Pro Ser Gly Val Phe Ile Ser Asn
    230 235 240
    ggc cct ggc gac cct gca gca gca gac gtc atg gtt gat atc gtc cgc 1062
    Gly Pro Gly Asp Pro Ala Ala Ala Asp Val Met Val Asp Ile Val Arg
    245 250 255 260
    gaa gtt ctg gaa gcc gac att cca ttc ttt ggc atc tgc ttc ggc aac 1110
    Glu Val Leu Glu Ala Asp Ile Pro Phe Phe Gly Ile Cys Phe Gly Asn
    265 270 275
    cag atc ctc ggc cgc gca ttc ggc atg gag acc tac aag ctg aag ttc 1158
    Gln Ile Leu Gly Arg Ala Phe Gly Met Glu Thr Tyr Lys Leu Lys Phe
    280 285 290
    ggc cac cgc ggc atc aac gtt cca gtg aag aac cac atc acc ggc aag 1206
    Gly His Arg Gly Ile Asn Val Pro Val Lys Asn His Ile Thr Gly Lys
    295 300 305
    atc gac atc acc gcc cag aac cac ggc ttc gca ctc aag ggt gaa gca 1254
    Ile Asp Ile Thr Ala Gln Asn His Gly Phe Ala Leu Lys Gly Glu Ala
    310 315 320
    ggc cag gaa ttc gag aca gat ttc ggc act gcg att gtc acc cac acc 1302
    Gly Gln Glu Phe Glu Thr Asp Phe Gly Thr Ala Ile Val Thr His Thr
    325 330 335 340
    tgc ctt aac gac ggc gtc gtt gaa ggt gtt gcg ctg aag tcc gga cgc 1350
    Cys Leu Asn Asp Gly Val Val Glu Gly Val Ala Leu Lys Ser Gly Arg
    345 350 355
    gca tac tcc gtt cag tac cac cca gag gcc gct gcc ggc cca aat gat 1398
    Ala Tyr Ser Val Gln Tyr His Pro Glu Ala Ala Ala Gly Pro Asn Asp
    360 365 370
    gca agc ccc ctg ttt gac cag ttt gtt gag ctg atg gat gca gac gct 1446
    Ala Ser Pro Leu Phe Asp Gln Phe Val Glu Leu Met Asp Ala Asp Ala
    375 380 385
    cag aag aaa ggc gca taaataacat gccaaagcgt tcagatatta accacgtcct 1501
    Gln Lys Lys Gly Ala
    390
    cgtcatcggt tccggcccca tcgtcattgg ccaggcatgt gaattcgact actccggcac 1561
    ccaggcttgc cgcgtgctga aggaagaggg actgcgcgtc accctcatca actccaaccc 1621
    agcaacgatc atgaccgacc cagaaatggc tgaccacacc tacgtggagc caatcgagcc 1681
    ggaatacatc gacaagattt tcgctaagga gatcgagcag ggccacccaa tcgacgccgt 1741
    cctggcaacc cttg gtg gcc aga ctg cac tta acg cag cta tcc agc tgg 1791
    Val Ala Arg Leu His Leu Thr Gln Leu Ser Ser Trp
    395 400 405
    atc gcc ttc ggc atc ctg gaa aag tac ggc gtt gaa ctc atc ggt gca 1839
    Ile Ala Phe Gly Ile Leu Glu Lys Tyr Gly Val Glu Leu Ile Gly Ala
    410 415 420
    gac atc gat gcc att gag cgc ggc gaa gat cgc cag aag ttc aag gat 1887
    Asp Ile Asp Ala Ile Glu Arg Gly Glu Asp Arg Gln Lys Phe Lys Asp
    425 430 435
    att gtc acc acc atc ggt ggc gaa tcc gcg cgt tcc cgc gtc tgc cac 1935
    Ile Val Thr Thr Ile Gly Gly Glu Ser Ala Arg Ser Arg Val Cys His
    440 445 450
    aac atg gac gaa gtc cat gag act gtc gca gaa ctt ggc ctt cca gta 1983
    Asn Met Asp Glu Val His Glu Thr Val Ala Glu Leu Gly Leu Pro Val
    455 460 465
    gtc gtg cgt cca tcc ttc act atg ggt ggc ctg ggc tcc ggt ctt gca 2031
    Val Val Arg Pro Ser Phe Thr Met Gly Gly Leu Gly Ser Gly Leu Ala
    470 475 480 485
    tac aac acc gaa gac ctt gag cgc atc gca ggt ggc gga ctt gct gca 2079
    Tyr Asn Thr Glu Asp Leu Glu Arg Ile Ala Gly Gly Gly Leu Ala Ala
    490 495 500
    tct cct gaa gca aac gtc ttg atc gaa gaa tcc atc ctt ggt tgg aag 2127
    Ser Pro Glu Ala Asn Val Leu Ile Glu Glu Ser Ile Leu Gly Trp Lys
    505 510 515
    gaa ttc gag ctc gag ctc atg cgc gat acc gca gac aac gtt gtg gtt 2175
    Glu Phe Glu Leu Glu Leu Met Arg Asp Thr Ala Asp Asn Val Val Val
    520 525 530
    atc tgc tcc att gaa aac gtc gac gca ctg ggc gtg cac acc ggc gac 2223
    Ile Cys Ser Ile Glu Asn Val Asp Ala Leu Gly Val His Thr Gly Asp
    535 540 545
    tct gtc acc gtg gca cct gcc ctg acc ctg act gac cgt gaa ttc cag 2271
    Ser Val Thr Val Ala Pro Ala Leu Thr Leu Thr Asp Arg Glu Phe Gln
    550 555 560 565
    aag atg cgc gat cag ggt atc gcc atc atc cgc gag gtc ggc gtg gac 2319
    Lys Met Arg Asp Gln Gly Ile Ala Ile Ile Arg Glu Val Gly Val Asp
    570 575 580
    acc ggt gga tgt aac atc cag ttc gct atc aac cca gtt gat ggc cgc 2367
    Thr Gly Gly Cys Asn Ile Gln Phe Ala Ile Asn Pro Val Asp Gly Arg
    585 590 595
    atc atc acc att gag atg aac cca cgt gtg tct cgt tcc tcc gcg ctg 2415
    Ile Ile Thr Ile Glu Met Asn Pro Arg Val Ser Arg Ser Ser Ala Leu
    600 605 610
    gca tcc aag gca acg ggc ttc cca att gcc aag atg gct gcc aag ctg 2463
    Ala Ser Lys Ala Thr Gly Phe Pro Ile Ala Lys Met Ala Ala Lys Leu
    615 620 625
    gct atc gga tac acc ctg gat gag atc acc aac gac atc act ggt gaa 2511
    Ala Ile Gly Tyr Thr Leu Asp Glu Ile Thr Asn Asp Ile Thr Gly Glu
    630 635 640 645
    acc cca gct gcg ttt gag ccc acc atc gac tac gtc gtg gtc aag gcc 2559
    Thr Pro Ala Ala Phe Glu Pro Thr Ile Asp Tyr Val Val Val Lys Ala
    650 655 660
    cca cgc ttt gct ttc gag aag ttt gtc ggc gct gat gac act ttg acc 2607
    Pro Arg Phe Ala Phe Glu Lys Phe Val Gly Ala Asp Asp Thr Leu Thr
    665 670 675
    acc acc atg aag tcc gtc ggt gag gtc atg tcc ctg ggc cgt aac tac 2655
    Thr Thr Met Lys Ser Val Gly Glu Val Met Ser Leu Gly Arg Asn Tyr
    680 685 690
    att gca gca ctg aac aag gca ctg cgt tcc ctg gaa acc aag cag cag 2703
    Ile Ala Ala Leu Asn Lys Ala Leu Arg Ser Leu Glu Thr Lys Gln Gln
    695 700 705
    ggt ttc tgg acc aag cct gat gag ttc ttc gca ggg gag cgc gct acc 2751
    Gly Phe Trp Thr Lys Pro Asp Glu Phe Phe Ala Gly Glu Arg Ala Thr
    710 715 720 725
    gat aag gca gct gtt ctg gaa gat ctc aag cgc cca acc gaa ggc cgc 2799
    Asp Lys Ala Ala Val Leu Glu Asp Leu Lys Arg Pro Thr Glu Gly Arg
    730 735 740
    ctc tac gac gtt gag ctg gca atg cgc ctt ggc gca agc gtg gaa gaa 2847
    Leu Tyr Asp Val Glu Leu Ala Met Arg Leu Gly Ala Ser Val Glu Glu
    745 750 755
    ctc tac gaa gca tct tct att gat cct tgg ttc ctc gcc gag ctt gaa 2895
    Leu Tyr Glu Ala Ser Ser Ile Asp Pro Trp Phe Leu Ala Glu Leu Glu
    760 765 770
    gct ctc gtg cag ttc cgc cag aag ctc gtt gac gca cca ttc ctc aac 2943
    Ala Leu Val Gln Phe Arg Gln Lys Leu Val Asp Ala Pro Phe Leu Asn
    775 780 785
    gaa gat ctc ctg cgc gaa gca aag ttc atg ggt ctg tcc gac ctg cag 2991
    Glu Asp Leu Leu Arg Glu Ala Lys Phe Met Gly Leu Ser Asp Leu Gln
    790 795 800 805
    atc gca gcc ctt cgc cca gag ttc gct ggc gaa gac ggc gta cgc acc 3039
    Ile Ala Ala Leu Arg Pro Glu Phe Ala Gly Glu Asp Gly Val Arg Thr
    810 815 820
    ttg cgt ctg tcc cta ggc atc cgc cca gta ttc aag act gtg gat acc 3087
    Leu Arg Leu Ser Leu Gly Ile Arg Pro Val Phe Lys Thr Val Asp Thr
    825 830 835
    tgt gca gca gag ttt gaa gct aag act ccg tac cac tac tcc gca tac 3135
    Cys Ala Ala Glu Phe Glu Ala Lys Thr Pro Tyr His Tyr Ser Ala Tyr
    840 845 850
    gag ctg gat cca gca gct gag tct gag gtc gca cca cag act gag cgt 3183
    Glu Leu Asp Pro Ala Ala Glu Ser Glu Val Ala Pro Gln Thr Glu Arg
    855 860 865
    gaa aag gtc ctg atc ttg ggc tcc ggt cca aac cgc atc ggc cag ggc 3231
    Glu Lys Val Leu Ile Leu Gly Ser Gly Pro Asn Arg Ile Gly Gln Gly
    870 875 880 885
    atc gag ttc gac tat tcc tgt gtt cac gca gct ctt gag ctc tcc cgc 3279
    Ile Glu Phe Asp Tyr Ser Cys Val His Ala Ala Leu Glu Leu Ser Arg
    890 895 900
    gtc ggc tac gaa act gtc atg gtc aac tgc aac cca gag acc gtg tcc 3327
    Val Gly Tyr Glu Thr Val Met Val Asn Cys Asn Pro Glu Thr Val Ser
    905 910 915
    acc gac tac gac acc gct gac cgc ctg tac ttc gag cca ctg acc ttc 3375
    Thr Asp Tyr Asp Thr Ala Asp Arg Leu Tyr Phe Glu Pro Leu Thr Phe
    920 925 930
    gaa gac gtc atg gag gtc tac cac gct gag gcg cag tcc ggc acc gtc 3423
    Glu Asp Val Met Glu Val Tyr His Ala Glu Ala Gln Ser Gly Thr Val
    935 940 945
    gca ggt gtt atc gtc cag ctt ggt ggc cag act cct ctg ggc ttg gca 3471
    Ala Gly Val Ile Val Gln Leu Gly Gly Gln Thr Pro Leu Gly Leu Ala
    950 955 960 965
    gat cgt ttg aag aag gct ggc gtc cct gtc att ggt acc tcc cca gag 3519
    Asp Arg Leu Lys Lys Ala Gly Val Pro Val Ile Gly Thr Ser Pro Glu
    970 975 980
    gca atc gac atg gct gag gac cgt ggc gag ttc ggt gca ctg ctg aac 3567
    Ala Ile Asp Met Ala Glu Asp Arg Gly Glu Phe Gly Ala Leu Leu Asn
    985 990 995
    cgc gag cag ctt cct gct cca gca ttc ggc acc gca acc tct ttc 3612
    Arg Glu Gln Leu Pro Ala Pro Ala Phe Gly Thr Ala Thr Ser Phe
    1000 1005 1010
    gaa gag gct cgc aca gta gcc gat gag atc agc tac cca gtg ctg 3657
    Glu Glu Ala Arg Thr Val Ala Asp Glu Ile Ser Tyr Pro Val Leu
    1015 1020 1025
    gtt cgc cct tcc tac gtc ttg ggt ggc cgt ggc atg gag att gtc 3702
    Val Arg Pro Ser Tyr Val Leu Gly Gly Arg Gly Met Glu Ile Val
    1030 1035 1040
    tac gat gag gct tcc ctc gag gat tac atc aac cgc gca act gag 3747
    Tyr Asp Glu Ala Ser Leu Glu Asp Tyr Ile Asn Arg Ala Thr Glu
    1045 1050 1055
    ttg tct tct gac cac cca gtg ctg gtt gac cgc ttc ctg gac aac 3792
    Leu Ser Ser Asp His Pro Val Leu Val Asp Arg Phe Leu Asp Asn
    1060 1065 1070
    gct att gag atc gac gtc gac gca ctg tgc gac ggc gac gaa gtc 3837
    Ala Ile Glu Ile Asp Val Asp Ala Leu Cys Asp Gly Asp Glu Val
    1075 1080 1085
    tac ctg gcg ggc gtc atg gaa cac atc gag gaa gcc ggc att cac 3882
    Tyr Leu Ala Gly Val Met Glu His Ile Glu Glu Ala Gly Ile His
    1090 1095 1100
    tcc ggt gac tcc gca tgt gca ctt cct cca atg act ttg ggc gca 3927
    Ser Gly Asp Ser Ala Cys Ala Leu Pro Pro Met Thr Leu Gly Ala
    1105 1110 1115
    cag gac atc gag aag gtc cgc gaa gca acc aag aag ctg gct ctg 3972
    Gln Asp Ile Glu Lys Val Arg Glu Ala Thr Lys Lys Leu Ala Leu
    1120 1125 1130
    ggc atc ggc gta cag ggc ctg atg aac gtc cag tac gca ctc aag 4017
    Gly Ile Gly Val Gln Gly Leu Met Asn Val Gln Tyr Ala Leu Lys
    1135 1140 1145
    gac gac atc ctc tac gtc atc gag gca aac cca cgt gca tcc cgc 4062
    Asp Asp Ile Leu Tyr Val Ile Glu Ala Asn Pro Arg Ala Ser Arg
    1150 1155 1160
    acc gtg ccg ttc gtc tcc aag gca acg ggc gtc aac ctg gcc aag 4107
    Thr Val Pro Phe Val Ser Lys Ala Thr Gly Val Asn Leu Ala Lys
    1165 1170 1175
    gca gca tcc cgt atc gca gtg ggc gcc acc atc aag gat ctc caa 4152
    Ala Ala Ser Arg Ile Ala Val Gly Ala Thr Ile Lys Asp Leu Gln
    1180 1185 1190
    gat gag ggc atg att cct acc gag tac gac ggc ggc tcc ttg cca 4197
    Asp Glu Gly Met Ile Pro Thr Glu Tyr Asp Gly Gly Ser Leu Pro
    1195 1200 1205
    ctg gac gct cca atc gct gtg aag gaa gca gtg ttg ccg ttc aac 4242
    Leu Asp Ala Pro Ile Ala Val Lys Glu Ala Val Leu Pro Phe Asn
    1210 1215 1220
    cgc ttc cgt cgc cca gat gga aag acc ctg gac acc ctg ctt tcc 4287
    Arg Phe Arg Arg Pro Asp Gly Lys Thr Leu Asp Thr Leu Leu Ser
    1225 1230 1235
    cca gag atg aag tcc act ggc gag gtc atg ggc ttg gcc aac aac 4332
    Pro Glu Met Lys Ser Thr Gly Glu Val Met Gly Leu Ala Asn Asn
    1240 1245 1250
    ttc ggc gct gca tat gca aag gct gaa gct ggc gcg ttt ggt gca 4377
    Phe Gly Ala Ala Tyr Ala Lys Ala Glu Ala Gly Ala Phe Gly Ala
    1255 1260 1265
    ttg cca acc gaa ggc acc gtc ttc gtg acc gtg gct aac cgc gac 4422
    Leu Pro Thr Glu Gly Thr Val Phe Val Thr Val Ala Asn Arg Asp
    1270 1275 1280
    aag cgc acc ctg atc ctg cca atc cag cgc ctg gcg tcg atg ggc 4467
    Lys Arg Thr Leu Ile Leu Pro Ile Gln Arg Leu Ala Ser Met Gly
    1285 1290 1295
    tac aag atc ctc gcc acc gaa ggc acc gca ggc atg ctg cgc cgc 4512
    Tyr Lys Ile Leu Ala Thr Glu Gly Thr Ala Gly Met Leu Arg Arg
    1300 1305 1310
    aac ggc att gat tgt gaa gtt gtg ctc aag gct tcc gac atc cgc 4557
    Asn Gly Ile Asp Cys Glu Val Val Leu Lys Ala Ser Asp Ile Arg
    1315 1320 1325
    gaa ggt gta gag ggc aag tcc atc gtg gat cgt atc cgc gaa ggc 4602
    Glu Gly Val Glu Gly Lys Ser Ile Val Asp Arg Ile Arg Glu Gly
    1330 1335 1340
    gaa gtt gac ctc atc ctc aac acc cca gct ggt tct gct ggc gct 4647
    Glu Val Asp Leu Ile Leu Asn Thr Pro Ala Gly Ser Ala Gly Ala
    1345 1350 1355
    cgc cac gat ggc tac gat atc cgc gca gca gca gtg acc gtg ggt 4692
    Arg His Asp Gly Tyr Asp Ile Arg Ala Ala Ala Val Thr Val Gly
    1360 1365 1370
    gtt cca ctg atc acc act gtc cag ggt gtc acc gca gct gtc cag 4737
    Val Pro Leu Ile Thr Thr Val Gln Gly Val Thr Ala Ala Val Gln
    1375 1380 1385
    ggc att gag gcc ctg cgt gag ggc gtt gtc agc gtc cgc gcg ctg 4782
    Gly Ile Glu Ala Leu Arg Glu Gly Val Val Ser Val Arg Ala Leu
    1390 1395 1400
    cag gaa ctc gac cac gca gtc aag gct taagccctat gacattcggc 4829
    Gln Glu Leu Asp His Ala Val Lys Ala
    1405 1410
    gagaagctt 4838
    <210> SEQ ID NO 2
    <211> LENGTH: 393
    <212> TYPE: PRT
    <213> ORGANISM: Brevibacterium lactofermentum
    <400> SEQUENCE: 2
    Val Ser Lys Asp Thr Thr Thr Tyr Gln Gly Val Thr Glu Ile Gly Ser
    1 5 10 15
    Val Pro Ala Tyr Leu Val Leu Ala Asp Gly Arg Thr Phe Thr Gly Phe
    20 25 30
    Gly Phe Gly Ala Ile Gly Thr Thr Leu Gly Glu Ala Val Phe Thr Thr
    35 40 45
    Ala Met Thr Gly Tyr Gln Glu Thr Met Thr Asp Pro Ser Tyr His Arg
    50 55 60
    Gln Ile Val Val Ala Thr Ala Pro Gln Ile Gly Asn Thr Gly Trp Asn
    65 70 75 80
    Asp Glu Asp Asn Glu Ser Arg Asp Gly Lys Ile Trp Val Ala Gly Leu
    85 90 95
    Val Ile Arg Asp Leu Ala Ala Arg Val Ser Asn Trp Arg Ala Thr Thr
    100 105 110
    Ser Leu Gln Gln Glu Met Ala Asp Gln Gly Ile Val Gly Ile Gly Gly
    115 120 125
    Ile Asp Thr Arg Ala Leu Val Arg His Leu Arg Asn Glu Gly Ser Ile
    130 135 140
    Ala Ala Gly Ile Phe Ser Gly Ala Asp Ala Gln Arg Pro Val Glu Glu
    145 150 155 160
    Leu Val Glu Ile Val Lys Asn Gln Pro Ala Met Thr Gly Ala Asn Leu
    165 170 175
    Ser Val Glu Val Ser Ala Asp Glu Thr Tyr Val Ile Glu Ala Glu Gly
    180 185 190
    Glu Glu Arg His Thr Val Val Ala Tyr Asp Leu Gly Ile Lys Gln Asn
    195 200 205
    Thr Pro Arg Arg Phe Ser Ala Arg Gly Val Arg Thr Val Ile Val Pro
    210 215 220
    Ala Glu Thr Pro Leu Glu Asp Ile Lys Gln Tyr Asn Pro Ser Gly Val
    225 230 235 240
    Phe Ile Ser Asn Gly Pro Gly Asp Pro Ala Ala Ala Asp Val Met Val
    245 250 255
    Asp Ile Val Arg Glu Val Leu Glu Ala Asp Ile Pro Phe Phe Gly Ile
    260 265 270
    Cys Phe Gly Asn Gln Ile Leu Gly Arg Ala Phe Gly Met Glu Thr Tyr
    275 280 285
    Lys Leu Lys Phe Gly His Arg Gly Ile Asn Val Pro Val Lys Asn His
    290 295 300
    Ile Thr Gly Lys Ile Asp Ile Thr Ala Gln Asn His Gly Phe Ala Leu
    305 310 315 320
    Lys Gly Glu Ala Gly Gln Glu Phe Glu Thr Asp Phe Gly Thr Ala Ile
    325 330 335
    Val Thr His Thr Cys Leu Asn Asp Gly Val Val Glu Gly Val Ala Leu
    340 345 350
    Lys Ser Gly Arg Ala Tyr Ser Val Gln Tyr His Pro Glu Ala Ala Ala
    355 360 365
    Gly Pro Asn Asp Ala Ser Pro Leu Phe Asp Gln Phe Val Glu Leu Met
    370 375 380
    Asp Ala Asp Ala Gln Lys Lys Gly Ala
    385 390
    <210> SEQ ID NO 3
    <211> LENGTH: 1018
    <212> TYPE: PRT
    <213> ORGANISM: Brevibacterium lactofermentum
    <400> SEQUENCE: 3
    Val Ala Arg Leu His Leu Thr Gln Leu Ser Ser Trp Ile Ala Phe Gly
    1 5 10 15
    Ile Leu Glu Lys Tyr Gly Val Glu Leu Ile Gly Ala Asp Ile Asp Ala
    20 25 30
    Ile Glu Arg Gly Glu Asp Arg Gln Lys Phe Lys Asp Ile Val Thr Thr
    35 40 45
    Ile Gly Gly Glu Ser Ala Arg Ser Arg Val Cys His Asn Met Asp Glu
    50 55 60
    Val His Glu Thr Val Ala Glu Leu Gly Leu Pro Val Val Val Arg Pro
    65 70 75 80
    Ser Phe Thr Met Gly Gly Leu Gly Ser Gly Leu Ala Tyr Asn Thr Glu
    85 90 95
    Asp Leu Glu Arg Ile Ala Gly Gly Gly Leu Ala Ala Ser Pro Glu Ala
    100 105 110
    Asn Val Leu Ile Glu Glu Ser Ile Leu Gly Trp Lys Glu Phe Glu Leu
    115 120 125
    Glu Leu Met Arg Asp Thr Ala Asp Asn Val Val Val Ile Cys Ser Ile
    130 135 140
    Glu Asn Val Asp Ala Leu Gly Val His Thr Gly Asp Ser Val Thr Val
    145 150 155 160
    Ala Pro Ala Leu Thr Leu Thr Asp Arg Glu Phe Gln Lys Met Arg Asp
    165 170 175
    Gln Gly Ile Ala Ile Ile Arg Glu Val Gly Val Asp Thr Gly Gly Cys
    180 185 190
    Asn Ile Gln Phe Ala Ile Asn Pro Val Asp Gly Arg Ile Ile Thr Ile
    195 200 205
    Glu Met Asn Pro Arg Val Ser Arg Ser Ser Ala Leu Ala Ser Lys Ala
    210 215 220
    Thr Gly Phe Pro Ile Ala Lys Met Ala Ala Lys Leu Ala Ile Gly Tyr
    225 230 235 240
    Thr Leu Asp Glu Ile Thr Asn Asp Ile Thr Gly Glu Thr Pro Ala Ala
    245 250 255
    Phe Glu Pro Thr Ile Asp Tyr Val Val Val Lys Ala Pro Arg Phe Ala
    260 265 270
    Phe Glu Lys Phe Val Gly Ala Asp Asp Thr Leu Thr Thr Thr Met Lys
    275 280 285
    Ser Val Gly Glu Val Met Ser Leu Gly Arg Asn Tyr Ile Ala Ala Leu
    290 295 300
    Asn Lys Ala Leu Arg Ser Leu Glu Thr Lys Gln Gln Gly Phe Trp Thr
    305 310 315 320
    Lys Pro Asp Glu Phe Phe Ala Gly Glu Arg Ala Thr Asp Lys Ala Ala
    325 330 335
    Val Leu Glu Asp Leu Lys Arg Pro Thr Glu Gly Arg Leu Tyr Asp Val
    340 345 350
    Glu Leu Ala Met Arg Leu Gly Ala Ser Val Glu Glu Leu Tyr Glu Ala
    355 360 365
    Ser Ser Ile Asp Pro Trp Phe Leu Ala Glu Leu Glu Ala Leu Val Gln
    370 375 380
    Phe Arg Gln Lys Leu Val Asp Ala Pro Phe Leu Asn Glu Asp Leu Leu
    385 390 395 400
    Arg Glu Ala Lys Phe Met Gly Leu Ser Asp Leu Gln Ile Ala Ala Leu
    405 410 415
    Arg Pro Glu Phe Ala Gly Glu Asp Gly Val Arg Thr Leu Arg Leu Ser
    420 425 430
    Leu Gly Ile Arg Pro Val Phe Lys Thr Val Asp Thr Cys Ala Ala Glu
    435 440 445
    Phe Glu Ala Lys Thr Pro Tyr His Tyr Ser Ala Tyr Glu Leu Asp Pro
    450 455 460
    Ala Ala Glu Ser Glu Val Ala Pro Gln Thr Glu Arg Glu Lys Val Leu
    465 470 475 480
    Ile Leu Gly Ser Gly Pro Asn Arg Ile Gly Gln Gly Ile Glu Phe Asp
    485 490 495
    Tyr Ser Cys Val His Ala Ala Leu Glu Leu Ser Arg Val Gly Tyr Glu
    500 505 510
    Thr Val Met Val Asn Cys Asn Pro Glu Thr Val Ser Thr Asp Tyr Asp
    515 520 525
    Thr Ala Asp Arg Leu Tyr Phe Glu Pro Leu Thr Phe Glu Asp Val Met
    530 535 540
    Glu Val Tyr His Ala Glu Ala Gln Ser Gly Thr Val Ala Gly Val Ile
    545 550 555 560
    Val Gln Leu Gly Gly Gln Thr Pro Leu Gly Leu Ala Asp Arg Leu Lys
    565 570 575
    Lys Ala Gly Val Pro Val Ile Gly Thr Ser Pro Glu Ala Ile Asp Met
    580 585 590
    Ala Glu Asp Arg Gly Glu Phe Gly Ala Leu Leu Asn Arg Glu Gln Leu
    595 600 605
    Pro Ala Pro Ala Phe Gly Thr Ala Thr Ser Phe Glu Glu Ala Arg Thr
    610 615 620
    Val Ala Asp Glu Ile Ser Tyr Pro Val Leu Val Arg Pro Ser Tyr Val
    625 630 635 640
    Leu Gly Gly Arg Gly Met Glu Ile Val Tyr Asp Glu Ala Ser Leu Glu
    645 650 655
    Asp Tyr Ile Asn Arg Ala Thr Glu Leu Ser Ser Asp His Pro Val Leu
    660 665 670
    Val Asp Arg Phe Leu Asp Asn Ala Ile Glu Ile Asp Val Asp Ala Leu
    675 680 685
    Cys Asp Gly Asp Glu Val Tyr Leu Ala Gly Val Met Glu His Ile Glu
    690 695 700
    Glu Ala Gly Ile His Ser Gly Asp Ser Ala Cys Ala Leu Pro Pro Met
    705 710 715 720
    Thr Leu Gly Ala Gln Asp Ile Glu Lys Val Arg Glu Ala Thr Lys Lys
    725 730 735
    Leu Ala Leu Gly Ile Gly Val Gln Gly Leu Met Asn Val Gln Tyr Ala
    740 745 750
    Leu Lys Asp Asp Ile Leu Tyr Val Ile Glu Ala Asn Pro Arg Ala Ser
    755 760 765
    Arg Thr Val Pro Phe Val Ser Lys Ala Thr Gly Val Asn Leu Ala Lys
    770 775 780
    Ala Ala Ser Arg Ile Ala Val Gly Ala Thr Ile Lys Asp Leu Gln Asp
    785 790 795 800
    Glu Gly Met Ile Pro Thr Glu Tyr Asp Gly Gly Ser Leu Pro Leu Asp
    805 810 815
    Ala Pro Ile Ala Val Lys Glu Ala Val Leu Pro Phe Asn Arg Phe Arg
    820 825 830
    Arg Pro Asp Gly Lys Thr Leu Asp Thr Leu Leu Ser Pro Glu Met Lys
    835 840 845
    Ser Thr Gly Glu Val Met Gly Leu Ala Asn Asn Phe Gly Ala Ala Tyr
    850 855 860
    Ala Lys Ala Glu Ala Gly Ala Phe Gly Ala Leu Pro Thr Glu Gly Thr
    865 870 875 880
    Val Phe Val Thr Val Ala Asn Arg Asp Lys Arg Thr Leu Ile Leu Pro
    885 890 895
    Ile Gln Arg Leu Ala Ser Met Gly Tyr Lys Ile Leu Ala Thr Glu Gly
    900 905 910
    Thr Ala Gly Met Leu Arg Arg Asn Gly Ile Asp Cys Glu Val Val Leu
    915 920 925
    Lys Ala Ser Asp Ile Arg Glu Gly Val Glu Gly Lys Ser Ile Val Asp
    930 935 940
    Arg Ile Arg Glu Gly Glu Val Asp Leu Ile Leu Asn Thr Pro Ala Gly
    945 950 955 960
    Ser Ala Gly Ala Arg His Asp Gly Tyr Asp Ile Arg Ala Ala Ala Val
    965 970 975
    Thr Val Gly Val Pro Leu Ile Thr Thr Val Gln Gly Val Thr Ala Ala
    980 985 990
    Val Gln Gly Ile Glu Ala Leu Arg Glu Gly Val Val Ser Val Arg Ala
    995 1000 1005
    Leu Gln Glu Leu Asp His Ala Val Lys Ala
    1010 1015
    <210> SEQ ID NO 4
    <211> LENGTH: 32
    <212> TYPE: DNA
    <213> ORGANISM: Artificial/Unknown
    <220> FEATURE:
    <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature
    <222> LOCATION: ()..()
    <223> OTHER INFORMATION: synthetic DNA
    <400> SEQUENCE: 4
    cccgttaact gcttgaaacc caggacaata ac 32
    <210> SEQ ID NO 5
    <211> LENGTH: 30
    <212> TYPE: DNA
    <213> ORGANISM: Artificial/Unknown
    <220> FEATURE:
    <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature
    <222> LOCATION: ()..()
    <223> OTHER INFORMATION: synthetic DNA
    <400> SEQUENCE: 5
    cccgttaaca tgtacttcag aaaagattag 30
    <210> SEQ ID NO 6
    <211> LENGTH: 26
    <212> TYPE: DNA
    <213> ORGANISM: Artificial/Unknown
    <220> FEATURE:
    <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature
    <222> LOCATION: ()..()
    <223> OTHER INFORMATION: synthetic DNA
    <400> SEQUENCE: 6
    gatatctacg tgccgatcaa cgtctc 26
    <210> SEQ ID NO 7
    <211> LENGTH: 25
    <212> TYPE: DNA
    <213> ORGANISM: Artificial/Unknown
    <220> FEATURE:
    <221> NAME/KEY: misc_feature
    <222> LOCATION: ()..()
    <223> OTHER INFORMATION: synthetic DNA
    <400> SEQUENCE: 7
    aggccttttt ttaaggcagt tattg 25

Claims (14)

What is claimed is:
1. A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (A) or (B):
(A) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2,
(B) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3.
2. A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (C) or (D):
(C) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(D) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprises at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 of the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2.
3. A DNA fragment encoding a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity.
4. A DNA fragment which encodes a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d):
(a) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2,
(b) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(c) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(d) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2.
5. The DNA fragment according to claim 1, which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 430 to 1461 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
6. The DNA fragment according to claim 2, which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 1756 to 4809 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
7. The DNA fragment according to claim 3, which has a nucleotide sequence comprising at least the nucleotide numbers 430 to 4809 in the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1.
8. A protein which comprises a polypeptide defined in the following (a) or (b), and a polypeptide defined in the following (c) or (d):
(a) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2,
(b) a polypeptide which has an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a large subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(c) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3,
(d) a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 3 including substitution, deletion, insertion, addition, or inversion of one or several amino acids, and can constitute a protein having a carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity with a small subunit of carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase having an amino acid sequence comprising at least the amino acid numbers 50 to 393 in SEQ ID NO: 2.
9. A coryneform bacterium which is transformed with a DNA fragment according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
10. A microorganism which has enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity, and has L-arginine productivity.
11. The microorganism according to claim 10, wherein the enhanced intracellular carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase activity is obtained by increasing copy number of DNA encoding carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase of the microorganism, or by modifying an expression regulation sequence so that expression of the gene encoding carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase in the cell should be enhanced.
12. The microorganism according to claim 11, wherein the DNA is a DNA fragment according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
13. The microorganism according to claim 12, which is a coryneform bacterium.
14. A method for producing of L-arginine, comprising the steps of culturing a coryneform bacterium according to any one of claims 10 to 13 in a medium to produce and accumulate L-arginine in the medium, and collecting the L-arginine from the medium.
US09/494,359 1999-02-01 2000-01-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing l-arginine Abandoned US20030124685A1 (en)

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US09/629,616 US6255086B1 (en) 1999-02-01 2000-07-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US09/836,470 US6881566B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2001-04-18 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US10/284,334 US6908754B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US10/284,138 US20030082774A1 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US11/011,701 US7297521B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2004-12-15 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine

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US10/284,138 Division US20030082774A1 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US10/284,334 Division US6908754B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine

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US10/284,334 Expired - Fee Related US6908754B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US10/284,138 Abandoned US20030082774A1 (en) 1999-02-01 2002-10-31 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine
US11/011,701 Expired - Lifetime US7297521B2 (en) 1999-02-01 2004-12-15 Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine

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US20100062497A1 (en) * 2007-03-14 2010-03-11 Seizaburo Shiraga Microorganism producing an amino acid of the l-glutamic acid family and a method for producing the amino acid
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CN1316015C (en) * 2001-08-03 2007-05-16 味之素株式会社 New-mutant carbamyl-phosphate synthesized enzyme and method for producing compound derivated from carbamyl-phosphate
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US5807723A (en) * 1987-03-02 1998-09-15 Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research Homologously recombinant slow growing mycobacteria and uses therefor
US6255086B1 (en) 1999-02-01 2001-07-03 Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase gene of coryneform bacteria and method for producing L-arginine

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20100062497A1 (en) * 2007-03-14 2010-03-11 Seizaburo Shiraga Microorganism producing an amino acid of the l-glutamic acid family and a method for producing the amino acid
US8080396B2 (en) 2007-03-14 2011-12-20 Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Microorganism producing an amino acid of the L-glutamic acid family and a method for producing the amino acid
CN107893089A (en) * 2016-10-03 2018-04-10 味之素株式会社 Method for producing L amino acid

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US20050095680A1 (en) 2005-05-05
CN1270223A (en) 2000-10-18
US20030082775A1 (en) 2003-05-01
EP1026247A1 (en) 2000-08-09
US7297521B2 (en) 2007-11-20
US20030082774A1 (en) 2003-05-01

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