Microorganism Expressing Xylose Isomerase Mikroorganismus Welcher Xylose Isomerase Exprimiert Micro-Organisme Exprimant De Xylose Isomerase
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(19) TZZ ¥¥Z_T (11) EP 2 376 630 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: C12N 9/92 (2006.01) C12N 15/81 (2006.01) 20.04.2016 Bulletin 2016/16 C12P 7/06 (2006.01) C12P 19/24 (2006.01) (21) Application number: 09787397.0 (86) International application number: PCT/IB2009/055652 (22) Date of filing: 10.12.2009 (87) International publication number: WO 2010/070549 (24.06.2010 Gazette 2010/25) (54) MICROORGANISM EXPRESSING XYLOSE ISOMERASE MIKROORGANISMUS WELCHER XYLOSE ISOMERASE EXPRIMIERT MICRO-ORGANISME EXPRIMANT DE XYLOSE ISOMERASE (84) Designated Contracting States: WO-A1-2010/000464 WO-A1-2010/001363 AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR WO-A2-2009/120731 HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK SM TR • VAN MARIS A J A ET AL: "Development of Designated Extension States: Efficient Xylose Fermentation in Saccharomyces AL BA RS cerevisiae: Xylose Isomerase as a Key Component" ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL (30) Priority: 16.12.2008 GB 0822937 ENGINEERING, BIOTECHNOLOGY, SPRINGER, 17.12.2008 US 138293 P BERLIN, DE, vol. 108, 1 January 2007 (2007-01-01), pages 179-204, XP008086128 ISSN: (43) Date of publication of application: 0724-6145 19.10.2011 Bulletin 2011/42 • KUYPER M ET AL: "Metabolic engineering of a xylose-isomerase-expressing Saccharomyces (73) Proprietor: Terranol A/S cerevisiae strain for rapid anaerobic xylose 2800 Lyngby (DK) fermentation" FEMS YEAST RESEARCH, WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING LTD, GB, NL (72) Inventors: LNKD- DOI:10.1016/J.FEMSYR.2004.09.010, vol. • RØNNOW, Birgitte 5, no. 4-5, 1 February 2005 (2005-02-01), pages 1264 Copenhagen K (DK) 399-409, XP004730963 ISSN: 1567-1356 • ANDERSEN, Thomas Hvid • YANASE HIDESHI ET AL: "Genetic engineering 2000 Frederiksberg (DK) of Zymobacter palmae for production of ethanol • SIBBESEN, Ole from xylose" APPLIED AND ENVIRONMENTAL 2880 Bagsværd (DK) MICROBIOLOGY, AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR MICROBIOLOGY, US LNKD- (74) Representative: D Young & Co LLP DOI:10.1128/AEM.02302-06, vol. 73, no. 8, 1 April 120 Holborn 2007 (2007-04-01), pages 2592-2599, London EC1N 2DY (GB) XP002543474 ISSN: 0099-2240 • ERLANDSON K A ET AL: "Dissolution of xylose (56) References cited: metabolism in Lactococcus lactis." APPLIED WO-A1-03/062430 WO-A1-2006/096130 AND ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY SEP 2000 LNKD- PUBMED:10966417, vol. 66, no. 9, September 2000 (2000-09), pages 3974-3980, XP002578206 ISSN: 0099-2240 Note: Within nine months of the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent in the European Patent Bulletin, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to that patent, in accordance with the Implementing Regulations. Notice of opposition shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). EP 2 376 630 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) EP 2 376 630 B1 Description FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 [0001] The present invention relates to a microorganism. [0002] In particular, the present invention relates to a transformed microorganism capable of: a higher xylose isomerase activity than the equivalent microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a higher growth rate in or on a growth medium comprising xylose than the equivalent microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a faster metabolism of xylose than the equivalent microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a higher production of ethanol when grown anaerobically 10 on xylose as the carbon source than the equivalent microorganism prior to transformation. [0003] The present invention further relates to a method for preparing transformed microorganisms capable of: a higher xylose isomerase activity than the microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a higher growth rate in or on a growth medium comprising xylose than the microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a faster metabolism of xylose than the microorganism prior to transformation; and/or a higher production of ethanol when grown anaerobically on 15 xylose as the carbon source than the microorganism prior to transformation. [0004] Further, the present invention relates to inocula and culture media comprising a microorganism according to the present invention or a microorganism prepared by a method according to the present invention. [0005] In another aspect, the present invention relates to a fermentation method comprising culturing in a culture medium a microorganism according to the present invention or a microorganism prepared by the method of the present 20 invention. [0006] The present invention additionally relates to methods for producing a biofuel and/or a product derived from xylose comprising culturing in a culture medium a microorganism of the present invention or a microorganism prepared by the method of the present invention. [0007] Described herein is a biofuel and/or a product derived from xylose obtained by a method of the present invention. 25 [0008] Further, the present invention relates to the use of a microorganism according to the present invention or a microorganism prepared by the method of the present invention for the production of a product derived from xylose and/or a biofuel. BACKGROUND 30 [0009] Ethanol is considered an attractive alternative transportation fuel that may be used as an additive to, a supple- ment to or a part replacement for the fossil fuel gasoline, which is an ultimately limited resource. [0010] Ethanol may be used in smaller concentrations instead of Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) as a cleaner octane booster or oxygenating additive to gasoline, or it may be used for blending into gasoline in higher amounts from 10 to 35 85%, where the mixtures can be used in only slightly modified automobile engines as we know them today. It therefore has a tremendous advantage over other alternative transportation fuels. Any fractional substitution can be done with maximum flexibility, and this without drastic changes in transportation engine technology as we know it today. [0011] Ethanol has the advantage of being a renewable resource, as it can be produced in very large amounts from plant material. From this also follows the advantage of having a low net contribution to the release of carbon dioxide to 40 the atmosphere as the carbon dioxide released by the use of the ethanol is reabsorbed by the necessary production of the plant material to regenerate the used ethanol. [0012] In traditional ethanol production by fermentation, the plant material used is 6-carbon sugar, either directly extracted from plants containing free monosaccharides or disaccharides, or generated by the hydrolysis of starch from starch containing plant parts. These sugars are from plant parts that are also used for human or for animal consumption. 45 Traditional ethanol production is, therefore, competing directly for plant material which would otherwise be used for food or feed. The conversion of food into fuel raises ethical concerns in a world where millions of people are starving; calculations show that the amount of corn necessary to produce a tank-full of fuel for one very common off-roader type car in the USA is approximately the amount needed to feed one otherwise starving person for one full year. [0013] An alternative solution is to use lignocellulosic plant material that is otherwise regarded as waste for generation 50 of energy and fuel. This is, in general, regarded in a very positive way, and the development of ways to use lignocellulosic plant material for ethanol production has, therefore, in many countries attracted strong support, both politically and by the general public. Another advantage is the abundance of lignocellulosic material, actually making the substitution of 50% or more of the current gasoline consumption with ethanol theoretically feasible. [0014] There are numerous sources of lignocellulosic material that may be used for ethanol production - provided that 55 an efficient and economical collection and conversion process can be established. A few examples, where the collection is already being done today, include sugar cane bagasse, wood chips, corn stover and wheat straw. [0015] The two primary technical problems encountered in the use of lignocellulosic material for ethanol production through fermentation are: 2 EP 2 376 630 B1 1. the difficulties in hydrolysing the 6-carbon sugar containing cellulose into glucose without generating side-products that hamper or prevent further microbial conversion of the glucose into ethanol; and 2. the lack of an organism that is capable of efficient conversion of 5-carbon sugars (e.g. xylose and arabinose) present in the hemicellulose part of the lignocellulosic material into ethanol. 5 [0016] Saccharomyces cerevisiae has for more than 6000 years been the preferred microorganism for conversion of 6-carbon sugars derived from plant material into ethanol. This is due to a favourable combination of high ethanol yield, high specific productivity and high ethanol tolerance together with the ability to grow and ferment at low pH, where other competing microorganisms have trouble just surviving. When the difficulties in cellulose hydrolysis has been overcome, 10 then S. cerevisiae will most likely continue, to be the preferred organism to be used for generating ethanol by fermentation of the released 6-carbon sugar monomers. But, unfortunately,S . cerevisiae is unable to metabolize 5-carbon sugars that constitute up to one-third of the lignocellulosic sugar material. [0017] Work has consequently been made during the last two decades to seek ways to genetically engineer S. cere- visiae in order to introduce 5-carbon sugar fermenting capacity. This work has primarily focused on xylose fermentation, 15 as xylose constitutes the dominant part of 5-carbon sugars in lignocellulose. Although S. cerevisiae cannot metabolize xylose, it is capable of metabolizing the isomer xylulose (Wang and Schneider, 1980), which is the metabolite constituting an entry point into the pentose phosphate pathway.