Patent ID: 7419795
Filing Date: 2008-09-02
Classification: C07K,C12P

Abstract:
1. A method for enhancing the level of production of an ascorbic acid (ASA) intermediate in a Pantoea bacterial cell comprising: a) recombinantly inactivating a gene encoding a gluconate transporter, wherein said transporter has at least 95% sequence identity with the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or the sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 in said bacterial cell to obtain a recombinantly altered bacterial cell and; b) culturing the recombinantly altered bacterial cell under suitable culture conditions in the presence of a carbon source to allow the production of an ASA intermediate, wherein the level of production of the ASA intermediate in the recombinantly altered bacterial cell is enhanced compared to the level of production of said ASA intermediate in the bacterial cell when grown under essentially the same culture conditions, wherein the ASA intermediate is selected from the group consisting of gluconate, 2-keto-D-gluconate (2-KDG), 2,5-diketo-D-gluconate (2,5-DKG), 2-keto-L-gulonic acid (2-KLG), 5-keto-D-gluconate (5-KDG), and L-idonic acid (IA).