Patent ID: 6949372
Filing Date: 2005-09-27
Classification: C12N,C12P

Abstract:
1. An isolated or purified cell which is recombinant or genetically modified to contain and co-express i) a cytidine monophosphate sialic acid (CMP-SA)-synthase gene wherein said CMP-SA synthase gene encodes a polypeptide that catalyzes the formation of CMP-SA from SA and cytidine triphosphate (CTP), and wherein said polypeptide is ii) a sialic acid phosphate synthase (SAS) gene wherein said SAS gene encodes a polypeptide that catalyzes the formation of sialic acid phosphate from N-acetylmannosamine (ManNAc) and phosphoeylpyruvate (PEP), and wherein said polypeptide is a) a polypeptide represented by SEQ ID NO: 6 or a variant polypeptide thereof that contains conservative amino acid substitutions and in which SAS structure and function are conserved, or b) a polypeptide represented by SEQ ID NO: 8 or a variant polypeptide thereof that contains conservative amino acid substitutions and in which SAS structure and function are conserved, and wherein said cell is capable of producing donor substrate CMP-SA above levels produced before said cell was made recombinant or genetically modified, when provided ManNAc.