Patent ID: 9677100
Date: 2017-06-13
CPC Classifications: C08B,C08L,C12N,C12P,C12R

Claim:
1. A method of producing a sphingan essentially free from polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), said method comprising, culturing a mutant strain of the genus Sphingomonas under conditions that facilitate production of the sphingan, wherein the mutant strain comprises: at least one genetic modification that substantially or entirely eliminates a production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and at least one genetic modification that results in increased production of a sphingan, wherein said genetic modification resulting in increased production of a sphingan comprises a genetic modification that increases the expression of at least one gene involved in sphingan synthesis, wherein said at least one gene involved in sphingan synthesis is selected from the group consisting of the genes contained in the plasmid contained in strain ATCC PTA-10102 and the plasmid contained in strain ATCC PTA-10103; whereby the mutant strain of the genus Sphingomonas produces an increased production of the sphingan that is essentially free of PHB relative to a congenic strain containing the at least one genetic modification that substantially or entirely eliminates the production of PHB and lacking the at least one genetic modification that results in increased production of a sphingan.