Alanine 2,3- Aminomutase Alanin-2,3-Aminomutase Alanine 2,3- Aminomutase
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(19) & (11) EP 1 575 881 B1 (12) EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION (45) Date of publication and mention (51) Int Cl.: of the grant of the patent: C12N 1/15 (2006.01) C12N 1/19 (2006.01) 27.05.2009 Bulletin 2009/22 C12N 1/21 (2006.01) C12N 5/04 (2006.01) C12N 5/06 (2006.01) C12N 5/08 (2006.01) (2006.01) (21) Application number: 03707445.7 C12N 9/90 (22) Date of filing: 17.01.2003 (86) International application number: PCT/US2003/001635 (87) International publication number: WO 2003/062173 (31.07.2003 Gazette 2003/31) (54) ALANINE 2,3- AMINOMUTASE ALANIN-2,3-AMINOMUTASE ALANINE 2,3- AMINOMUTASE (84) Designated Contracting States: (56) References cited: AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR WO-A-01/16346 WO-A-01/21772 HU IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE SI SK TR US-A- 6 136 576 US-A1- 2003 113 882 US-B1- 6 184 006 US-B1- 6 248 874 (30) Priority: 18.01.2002 US 350727 P US-B1- 6 248 874 25.04.2002 US 375785 P • BEGLEY T P ET AL: "THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF (43) Date of publication of application: COENZYME A IN BACTERIA" VITAMINS AND 21.09.2005 Bulletin 2005/38 HORMONES, ACADEMIC PRESS, NEW YORK, NY,, US, vol. 61, February 2001 (2001-02), pages (73) Proprietor: Novozymes A/S 157-171, XP008004305 ISSN: 0083-6729 2880 Bagsværd (DK) • CRONAN J E JR: "BETHA-ALANINE SYNTHESIS IN ESCHERICHIA COLI" JOURNAL OF (72) Inventors: BACTERIOLOGY, WASHINGTON, DC, US, vol. • LIAO, Hans, H. 141, no. 3, March 1980 (1980-03), pages Eden Prairie, MN 55347 (US) 1291-1297, XP002058673 ISSN: 0021-9193 • GOKARN, Ravi, R. • DUSH N. ET AL: ’Expression of the Minneapolis, MN 55419 (US) Cytonebacterium glutamicum panD Gene • GORT, Steven, J. Encoding L-Aspartate-alpha-Decaboxylase Brooklyn Center, MN 55429 (US) Leads to Pantothenate Overdproduction in • JESSEN, Holly, J. Escharichia coli.’ APPLIED AND Chanhassen, MN 55317 (US) ENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY. vol. 65, no. • SELIFONOVA, Olga 4, April 1999, pages 1530 - 1539, XP000930097 Plymouth, MN 55446 (US) • RAMJEE M.K. ET AL: ’Escherichia coli L- Aspartate-alpha-Decarboxylase: Preprotein (74) Representative: Gowshall, Jonathan Vallance et al Processing and observation of reaction Forrester & Boehmert Intermediates by electrospray Mass Pettenkoferstrasse 20-22 Spectrometry.’ BIOCHEMICAL JOURNAL. vol. 80336 München (DE) 323, no. 3, 01 May 1997, pages 661 - 669, XP002210776 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 1 575 881 B1 Printed by Jouve, 75001 PARIS (FR) EP 1 575 881 B1 Description FIELD 5 [0001] This disclosure relates to alanine 2,3-aminomutase nucleic acid and amino acid sequences, cells having alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity which can convert alpha-alanine to beta-alanine, and methods using these cells to make beta- alanine, pantothenic acid, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and other organic compounds. BACKGROUND 10 [0002] Organic chemicals such as organic acids, esters, and polyols can be used to synthesize plastic materials and other products. To meet the increasing demand for organic chemicals, more efficient and cost-effective production methods are being developed which utilize raw materials based on carbohydrates rather than hydrocarbons. For example, certain bacteria have been used to produce large quantities of lactic acid used in the production of polylactic acid. 15 [0003] 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) is an organic acid. Several chemical synthesis routes have been described to produce 3-HP, and biocatalytic routes have also been disclosed (WO 01/16346 to Suthers et al.). 3-HP has utility for specialty synthesis and can be converted to commercially . important intermediates by known art in the chemical industry, e.g., acrylic acid by dehydration, malonic acid by oxidation, esters by esterification reactions with alcohols, and 1,3- propanediol by reduction. 20 SUMMARY [0004] The compound 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP) can be produced biocatalyticly from PEP or pyruvate, through a key beta-alanine intermediate (FIG. 1). Beta-alanine can be synthesized in cells from carnosine, beta-alanyl arginine, 25 beta-alanyl lysine, uracil via 5,6-dihydrouracil and N-carbamoyl-beta-alanine, N-acetyl-beta-alanine, anserine, or aspar- tate (FIGS. 1 and 2). However, these routes are relatively inefficient because they require rare precursors or starting compounds that are more valuable than 3-HP. [0005] Therefore, production of 3-HP using biocatalytic routes would be more efficient if alpha-alanine could be con- verted to beta-alanine directly (FIG. 1). Unfortunately, an enzyme that interconverts alpha-alanine to beta-alanine has 30 not yet been identified. It would be advantageous if enzymatic activities that carry out the conversion of alpha-alanine to beta-alanine were identified, such as an alanine 2.3-aminomutase. [0006] The present invention is defined in the accompanying claims. [0007] Herein disclosed are alanine 2,3-aminomutase nucleic acid sequences (such as SEQ ID NOS: 20 and 29), amino acid sequences (such as SEQ ID NOS: 21 and 30), as well as variants, fragments, fusions, and polymorphisms 35 thereof that retain alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity. In one example, the polypeptide is a sequence that includes SEQ ID NO: 21 or 30, or variants, fragments, or fusions thereof that retain alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity. In one example, the polypeptide is a mutated lysine 2,3-aminomutase and/or a lysine 5,6-aminomutase amino acid sequence. The disclosed sequences can be used to transform cells, such that the transformed cells have alanine 2.3-aminomutase activity, which allows the cells to produce beta-alanine from alpha-alanine. Binding agents that specifically bind to an 40 alanine 2,3-aminomutase are encompassed by this disclosure. [0008] Cells having alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity, which allow the cell to convert alpha-alanine to beta-alanine, are disclosed. Such cells can be eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells, such as yeast cells, plant cells, Lactobacillus, Lacto- coccus, Bacillus, or Escherichia cells. In one example, the cell is transformed with a mutated lysine 2,3-aminomutase and/or a mutated lysine 5,6-aminomutase that confers to the transformed cells alanine 2.3-aminomutase activity. In 45 another example, transformed cells include an alanine 2,3-aminomutase, such as SEQ ID NO: 21 or 30. The disclosed cells can be used to produce nucleic acid molecules, polypeptides, and organic compounds. The polypeptides can be used to catalyze the formation of organic compounds or can be used as antigens to create specific binding agents. [0009] A production cell having at least one exogenous nucleic acid, such as a nucleic acid encoding for an Alanine 2,3-aminomutase, is disclosed. In one example, the nucleic acid sequence includes SEQ ID NOS: 20 or 29 (or fragments, 50 variants, or fusions thereof that retain alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity). In another example, the nucleic acid sequence encodes an amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 21 or 30 (or fragments, variants or fusion proteins that of that retain alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity). Production cells can be used to express polypeptides that have an enzymatic activity such as CoA transferase activity, beta-alanine ammonia lyase activity, 3-hydroxypropionyl-CoA (3-HP-CoA) dehydratase activity, glutamate dehydrogenase, 3-hydroxypropionyl-CoA hydrolase, alanine dehydrogenase, pyruvate- 55 glutamate transaminase, and/or 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase activity. In another example, production cells are used to express polypeptides that have an enzymatic activity such as beta-alanine - 2-oxoglutarate aminotransferase and 3-HP dehydrogenase and/or 3-hydroxyisbutyrate dehydrogenase. Methods of producing polypeptides encoded by the nucleic acid sequences described above are disclosed. 2 EP 1 575 881 B1 [0010] A method of identifying a cell having alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity is disclosed. The method includes culturing a cell, which is functionally deleted for panD, in media which does not include beta-alanine nor pantothenate. For example, the cell can produce alpha-alanine from media sources of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen, but which does not include beta-alanine. Cells capable of growing in the media are identified, wherein cell growth indicates 5 that the cell is producing beta-alanine from alpha-alanine, which indicates the cell has alanine 2.3-aminomutasc activity. In contrast, absence of cell growth indicates that the cell is not producing beta-alanine from alpha-alanine, which indicates the cell does not have alanine 2.3-aminomutase activity. In one example, prior to culturing the cell for selection, cells are transformed with one or more mutated lysine 2,3-aminomutases and/or lysine 5.6-aminomutases. [0011] A method of producing a polypeptide having alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity is disclosed. In one example, 10 the method includes culturing cells having at least one exogenous nucleic acid molecule that encodes an alanine 2,3- aminomutase (such as SEQ ID NOS: 20 and 29), which is capable of producing beta-alanine from alpha-alanine. [0012] Several methods of producing 3-HP from beta-alanine using the disclosed cells having alanine 2,3-aminomutase activity are disclosed. In one example, the cell is transfected with one or more enzymes necessary to convert 3-HP from beta-alanine. In another example, the method includes purifying beta-alanine from the cell, then contacting the beta- 15 alanine with polypeptides necessary to convert 3-HP from beta-alanine. [0013] The cells, alanine 2,3-aminomutase nucleic and amino acid sequences (such as SEQ ID NOS: 20, 21, 29, and 30), and methods disclosed herein, can be used to produce pantothenate, 3-HP, and derivatives thereof such as coen- zyme A (CoA), and other organic compounds such as 1,3-propanediol, acrylic acid, polymerized acrylate, esters of acrylate, polymerized 3-HP, co-polymers of 3-HP and other compounds such as butyrates, valerates and other com- 20 pounds, esters of 3-HP, and malonic acid and its esters.