Patent ID: 8183016

Claim:
A method for synthesizing aromatic amino acids comprising the steps of: (a) isolating a gene encoding a thermostable T. thermophilus aspartate aminotransferase by PCR amplification using T. thermophilus genomic DNA and the primer pair set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1 and 2; (b) inserting the T. thermophilus aspartate aminotransferase gene obtained in step (a) in an expression vector; (c) transforming an E. coli BL21 (DE3) cell with the expression vector of step (b); (d) culturing the transformed E. coli BL21 (DE3) cell of step (c) to produce the thermostable T. thermophilus aspartate aminotransferase; (e) contacting the thermostable T. thermophilus aspartate aminotransferase of step (d) with an amino donor and an amino acceptor at a temperature range of 50-80° C. to obtain an aromatic amino acid; (f) precipitating the aromatic amino acid of (e); and (g) recovering the thermostable T. thermophilus aspartate aminotransferase.