Patent ID: 8372623

Claim:
A transformed microbial cell comprising in its genome: (a) a first recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to at least one nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (i) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 15; (ii) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO 16; and (iii) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO:16, wherein the polypeptide has gamma-tocopherol methyltransferase activity; (b) a second recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to at least one nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (iv) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:1; (v) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; and (vi) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide has homogentisate geranylgeranyl transferase activity; and (c) a third recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprising at least one regulatory sequence operably linked to at least one nucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of: (vii) the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:53; (viii) a nucleotide sequence encoding the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:54; and (ix) a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence of at least 95% sequence identity, based on the Clustal V method of alignment, when compared to SEQ ID NO:54, wherein the polypeptide has 2-methyl-6-phytylbenzoquinol methyltransferase activity; wherein the first recombinant nucleic acid molecule, the second recombinant nucleic acid molecule and the third recombinant nucleic acid molecule are stably incorporated into the genome of the transformed microbial cell.