Patent ID: 7273745

Claim:
An isolated pectate lyase, which is selected from the group consisting of: (a) a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence which has at least 90% identity with the sequence of amino acids 42-348 of SEQ ID NO: 8; (b) a polypeptide which is encoded by a nucleic acid sequence which hybridizes with the nucleic acid sequence of nucleotides 124-1047 of SEQ ID NO: 7 under high stringency conditions wherein the conditions are defined as prehybridization in a solution of 5×SSC, 5×Denhardt's solution, 0.5% SDS and 100 micrograms/ml of denatured sonicated salmon sperm DNA, followed by hybridization in the same solution for 12 hours at 45° C., and then washing twice for 30 minutes in 2×SSC, 0.5% SDS at a temperature of 70° C.; and (c) a fragment of the sequence of amino acids 42-348 of SEQ ID NO: 8 that has pectate lyase activity.