Abstract:
The invention describes the riboflavin biosynthesis gene and gene products from yeast. Vectors and recombinant preparation processes for riboflavin are furthermore described. Specifically, the invention relates to the genes for riboflavin biosynthesis in yeast, the proteins encoded therewith and genetic engineering process for the preparation of riboflavin using these genes and gene products. Accordingly, six genes (rib genes), which encode from enzymes of riboflavin biosynthesis starting from GTP, were found in the yeast  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  and isolated.

Description:
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/403,768, which is now abandoned which is a 371 of PCT/EP93/03183 filed Nov. 12, 1993. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to the genes for riboflavin biosynthesis in yeast, the proteins encoded therewith and genetic engineering processes for the preparation of riboflavin using these genes and gene products. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     The preparation of riboflavin by fermentation of fungi such as  Eremothecium ashbyii  or  Ashbya gossypii  is known (The Merck Index, Windholz et al., eds. Merck &amp; Co., 1983, page 1183). 
     EP 405370 describes riboflavin-overproducing bacterial strains which were obtained by transformation of riboflavin biosynthesis genes from  Bacillus subtilis.    
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Since the genetics of riboflavin biosynthesis in bacteria and eukaryotes is different, the abovementioned genes from  Bacillus subtilis  are not suitable for a recombinant preparation process for riboflavin using eukaryotic production organisms such as  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  or  Ashbya gossypii.    
     The object was therefore to isolate the riboflavin biosynthesis genes from a eukaryote in order therewith to make available a recombinant preparation process for riboflavin in a eukaryotic production organism. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG.  1 : shows that rib 1 gene was localized on a 1.7 kb XbaI-HindIII fragment, which was subcloned in the multi-copy vector YEp352, and gave the plasmid pJR301. 
       FIG.  2 : shows that rib 2 gene was localized on a 2.7 kb SacI-SacI fragment, which was subcloned in pJR 620. 
       FIG.  3 : shows that rib 3 gene was localized on a 1.5 kb PstI-PvuII fragment, which was subcloned in pJR61. 
       FIG.  4 : shows that rib 4 gene was localized on a 1.7 kb BglI-HpaII fragment, which was subcloned in pJR633. 
       FIG.  5 : shows that the rib 5 gene was localized on a 2.2 kb KpnI-PstI fragment, which was subcloned in pJR235 
       FIG.  6 : shows that the rib 7 gene was localized on a 1.6 kb BcII-EcoRI fragment which was subcloned in pJR632. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Accordingly, six genes (rib genes), which encode for enzymes of riboflavin biosynthesis starting from GTP, were found in the yeast  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  and isolated. 
     The genes and their gene ducts (polypeptides) are shown in the sequence record by their primary structure and have the following assignment:
     SEQ ID NO 1: rib 1 gene   SEQ ID NO 2: rib 1 gene product (GTP-cyclohydrolase II)   SEQ ID NO 3: rib 2 gene   SEQ ID NO 4: rib 2 gene product (DRAP (2,5-diamino-6-ribitylamino-4(3H)-pyrimidine 5′ phosphate) deaminase)   SEQ ID NO 5: rib 3 gene   SEQ ID NO 6: rib 3 gene product (DBP synthase)   

     SEQ ID NO 12: rib 7 gene product (HTP (2,5-diamino-6-ribosylamino-4-(3H)pyrimidine 5′-phosphate) reductase)
     SEQ ID NO 8: rib 4 gene product (DMRL synthase)   SEQ ID NO 9: rib 5 gene   SEQ ID NO 10: rib 5 gene product (riboflavin synthase)   SEQ ID NO 11: rib 7 gene   SEQ ID NO 12: rib 7 gene product (HTP reductase)   

     Guanosine triphosphate (GTP) is converted by GTP cyclohydrolase II (rib 1 gene product) to 2,5-diamino-6-ribosylamino-4-(3H)-pyrimidine-5-phosphate. This compound is then reduced by rib 7 gene product to 2,5-diamino-ribitylamino-2,4(1H, 3H)-pyrimidine-5-phosphate and then deaminated by rib 2 gene product to 5-amino-6-ribityl-amino-2,4(1H, 3H)-pyrimidinedione. The C4 compound DBP is then added in a rib 4 gene product-catalyzed reaction and 6,7-dimethyl-8-ribityllumazine (DMRL) is formed, from which riboflavin is formed in the rib 5 gene product-catalyzed reaction. The C4 compound DBP (L-3,4-dihydroxy-2-butanone-4-phosphate) is formed from D-ribulose-5-phosphate in a rib 3-gene product-catalyzed reaction. 
     The DNA sequences described in SEQ ID NOS 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 code for the polypeptides which are described in SEQ ID NOS 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12. Apart from the abovementioned DNA sequences, also suitable are those which, as a result of the degeneration of the genetic code, have another DNA sequence, but code for the same polypeptide, The invention furthermore also relates to those DNA sequences which have a 90% homology to the abovementioned DNA sequences and code for gene products with the same biological activity. Such DNA sequences can be isolated, for example, from eukaryotes other than  Saccharomyces cerevisiae  using customary hybridization processes or the PCR technique. 
     The invention furthermore relates to the expression vectors which contain one or more of the DNA sequences according to the invention. 
     The invention likewise relates to the host organisms transformed by the DNA sequences or expression vectors according to the invention. Eukaryotic organisms, particularly preferably those of the order  Saccharomyces  or  Ashbya , are preferably used as host organisms. 
     The invention furthermore includes a recombinant preparation process for riboflavin, in which the host organisms transformed according to the invention are cultured in a manner known per se by fermentation and the riboflavin formed during the fermentation is isolated from the fermentation medium and purified if desired. 
     The rib genes and gene products can be isolated and characterized as described in the Example and in the sequence record. 
     EXAMPLE 
     Cloning of the Riboflavin Biosynthesis Genes (Rib Genes) from Yeast 
     The yeast strain JC2a, which contains several suitable selection markers for transformation (Mat0, his3A1, leu2-3, 112, ura3-52) was mutagenized by treatment with EMS with the aim of introducing rib mutations. Accumulation, complementation and growth tests of riboflavin auxotrophs, which have been isolated from replica plates, confirm that the isolates with the designations AJ 126, AJ 122, JA 118, AJ21, AJ18 and AJ12 were in each case affected in one rib gene (rib 1, rib 2, rib 3, rib 4, rib 5 and rib 7). 
     In order to obtain the corresponding wild type copies of the six rib genes, each of the abovementioned rib mutants was transformed with 50-100 g of DNA from a genomic yeast library. 
     The centromere vector YCp50 was used to set up the yeast library, which can be obtained in this form from ATCC (No. 37415). The transformation was carried out by the lithium acetate method (Ito et al., J. Bacteriol. 153, 1983, 163). The transformants were selected for simultaneous uracil and riboflavin prototrophy on a synthetic complete medium without uracil and riboflavin. The frequency was 10 −4  to 10 −5  each according to the recipient strain. The plasmids were isolated from the positive transformants by transforming  E. coli  with the total yeast DNA and selecting for ampicillin resistance. 
     The rib-complementing gene regions were localized by subcloning. As can be seen from  FIG. 1 , the rib 1 gene was localized on a 1.7 kb XbaI-HindIII fragment, which was subcloned in the multi-copy vector YEp352, and gave the plasmid pJR301. Correspondingly, the rib 2 gene was localized on a 2.7 kb SacI-SacI fragment (subcloned in pJR 620, FIG.  2 ), the rib 3 gene on a 1.5 kb PstI-PvuII fragment (subcloned in pJR61, FIG.  3 ), the rib 4 gene on a 1.7 kb BglI-HpaII fragment (subcloned in pJR633, FIG.  4 ), the rib 5 gene on a 2.2 kb KpnI-PstI fragment (subcloned in pJR235,  FIG. 5 ) and the rib 7 gene on a 1.6 kb BclI-EcoRI fragment (subcloned in pJR 632 FIG. 6).    
     The insertions of the corresponding pJR plasmids were sequenced in both strands with the aid of the dideoxy method of Sanger. The analysis of coding regions in all cases gave open reading frames of more than 500 bp. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 Gene 
                 DNA (bp) 
                 Polypeptide (AS) 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
             
               
                   
                 rib 1 
                 SEQ ID NO 1 (1747) 
                 SEQ ID NO 2 (345) 
               
               
                   
                 rib 2 
                 SEQ ID NO 3 (3086) 
                 SEQ ID NO 4 (591) 
               
               
                   
                 rib 3 
                 SEQ ID NO 5 (1529) 
                 SEQ ID NO 6 (208) 
               
               
                   
                 rib 4 
                 SEQ ID NO 7 (1300) 
                 SEQ ID NO 8 (169) 
               
               
                   
                 rib 5 
                 SEQ ID NO 9 (1879) 
                 SEQ ID NO 10 (238) 
               
               
                   
                 rib 7 
                 SEQ ID NO 11 (2365) 
                 SEQ ID NO 12 (244)