Patent ID: 7749738

Claim:
A process for production of arginine in bacterial cultures, said process comprising: a) growing a strain of an Escherichia coli bacterium, said strain bearing at least two genetic manipulations comprising: (i) a first manipulation for increased arginine biosynthesis, comprising a canavanine-resistance-conferring alteration in an endogenous Escherichia coli argR gene, the said first manipulation being defined as that which by itself is associated with the phenotypes of canavanine resistance and the ability to support increased syntrophic growth of an arginine auxotroph, and (ii) a second manipulation comprising a canavanine-resistance-conferring alteration in an Escherichia coli argP (ici A) gene, wherein the alteration in the argP gene comprises a mutation at a codon position selected from codon positions 94, 108, 144, 217, 294, 295 and 68 of the Escherichia coli argP gene, and b) recovering arginine from the culture medium of said bacterial strain.