Use of the reductive glycine pathway for generating formatotrophic and autotrophic microorganisms

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10377994-B2
Application number	US-201816162427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2018
Priority date	Jul 29, 2012
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

An isolated microorganism that expresses enzymes of the reductive glycine pathway is disclosed. The microorganism is capable of converting formate to pyruvate or glycerate via the formation of glycine and serine. Methods of generating same are further described.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An isolated microoranism that is genetically modified to overexpress at least one enzyme of the glycine cleavage system, said enzyme being selected from the group consisting of EC 2.1.2.10, EC1.8.1.4 and EC 1.4.4.2, wherein the microorganism is able to utilize formate as a carbon source for the generation of pyruvate or glycerate via the formation of glycine and serine.

2. An isolated microorganism that is genetically modified to express enzymes of the reductive glycine pathway, wherein the microorganism is capable of converting formate to a metabolite of central metabolism via the formation of glycine and without the formation of serine, said metabolite being selected from the group consisting of acetyl CoA, oxaloacetate, glycerate 2-phosphate and glycerate 3-phosphate, wherein said microorganism uses formate as its carbon source.

3. The microorganism of claim 2 , not expressing EC 2.1.2.1.

4. The microorganism of claim 1 , further expressing a formate dehydrogenase which is capable of reducing carbon dioxide to formic acid.

5. The microorganism of claim 1 , selected from the group consisting of a fungus and an algae.

6. The microorganism of claim 2 , selected from the group consisting of a bacteria, a fungus and an algae.

7. The microorganism of claim 1 , being genetically modified to express a human polypeptide.

8. The microorganism of claim 1 , capable of producing a biofuel.

9. A method of generating a microorganism comprising overexpressing in the microorganism at least one enzyme of the glycine cleavage system, said enzyme being selected from the group consisting of EC 2.1.2.10, EC1.8.1.4 and EC 1.4.4.2, wherein the microorganism is capable of utilizing formate as a carbon source for the generation of pyruvate or glycerate via the formation of glycine and serine.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said microorganism is formatotrophic.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein said microorganism is autotrophic.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selecting the microorganism that is formatotrophic by growing the microorganism on formate following said expressing.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising selecting the microorganism that is autotrophic by growing the microorganism on carbon dioxide in the presence of an external electron source following said expressing.

14. The method of claim 9 , further comprising culturing said microorganism following said generating.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said culturing is effected in a presence of an electrical current so as to generate said formate.

16. The microorganism of claim 1 , further expressing a NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase which is capable of oxidizing formate to carbon dioxide.

17. The microorganism of claim 2 , further expressing a NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase which is capable of oxidizing formate to carbon dioxide.

18. The microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the fungus is a yeast.

19. The microorganism of claim 6 , wherein the fungus is a yeast.

Assignees

• Yeda Res & Dev
• Yeda Res And Developmetn Co Ltd

Inventors

• Bar-Even Arren
• Milo Ron
• Noor Elad
• Yishai Oren

Classifications

• C12N9/93

  Ligases (6) · CPC title

• C12P7/40

  containing a carboxyl group {including Peroxycarboxylic acids} · CPC title

• C12Y603/04003

  Formate--tetrahydrofolate ligase (6.3.4.3) · CPC title

• C12N15/52

  Genes encoding for enzymes or proenzymes · CPC title

• C12Y102/01002

  Formate dehydrogenase (1.2.1.2) · CPC title