Patent ID: 8367375

Claim:
A method for producing human ceramide in a Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell, which comprises: 1) introducing the sphingoid Δ4-desaturase gene (DES 1) by transformation of the S. cerevisiae cell with an expression vector encoding said DES1 gene, wherein the sphingoid Δ4-desaturase gene (DES 1) encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or an amino acid sequence which has an identity of 90% or more to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, and having sphingoid Δ4-desaturase activity; 2) abolishing the expression of the yeast sphinganine C4-hydroxylase gene (SUR2-) by transformation of the S. cerevisiae cell, wherein the yeast sphinganine C4-hydroxylase gene (SUR2) encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 6 or an amino acid sequence which has an identity of 90% or more to the amino acid sequence of in SEQ ID NO: 6, and having sphinganine C4-hydroxylase activity; 3) abolishing the expression of the yeast sphingoid base kinase gene (LCB4) by transformation of the yeast S. cerevisiae cell, wherein the yeast sphingoid base kinase gene (LCB4) encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10 or an amino acid sequence which has an identity of 90% or more to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 10, and having sphingoid base kinase activity; and 4) abolishing the expression of the yeast sphingolipid α-hydroxylase gene (SCS7) by transformation of the S. cerevisiae cell, wherein the yeast-sphingolipid α-hydroxylase gene (SCS7) encodes a protein having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or an amino acid sequence which has an identity of 90% or more to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8, and having sphingolipid α-hydroxylase activity; wherein said steps of abolishing the expression of genes are conducted by a process independently selected from the group consisting of: (a) transforming the S. cerevisiae cell with a DNA fragment containing upstream and downstream nucleotide sequences of each gene fused to a selectable marker, thereby the natural genome sequence of said gene in the yeast is replaced with said DNA fragment through homologous recombination; (b) transforming the S. cerevisiae cell with a vector that inserts or deletes one or more nucleotides in a coding or non-coding region responsible for expression of said genes; and (c) transforming the S. cerevisiae cell with a vector which produces a nucleotide which suppresses expression of said genes by an antisense method, an RNAi method, a ribozyme method, or cosuppression.