Hydrocarbon synthase gene and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9663799-B2
Application number	US-201314378904-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2013
Priority date	Feb 27, 2012
Publication date	May 30, 2017
Grant date	May 30, 2017

Abstract

A hydrocarbon synthase gene encoding protein having excellent capacity to synthesize a hydrocarbon such as alkane and novel functions is provided. The gene encodes a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising a motif sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 1 and having activity of synthesizing a hydrocarbon with a carbon number one less than that of an aldehyde compound from the aldehyde compound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for producing a hydrocarbon, said method comprising incubating together:
a protein having an activity of synthesizing, from an aldehyde compound, a hydrocarbon with a carbon number one less than that of the aldehyde compound, wherein said protein is selected from the group consisting of (a) and (b):
(a) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 12, 26, 66, 72, 76, 80, 90, 92, 94, 98, 112, 116, 122 and 144; and
(b) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 12, 26, 66, 72, 76, 80, 90, 92, 94, 98, 112, 116, 122 and 144, and having an activity of synthesizing, from an aldehyde compound, a hydrocarbon with a carbon number one less than that of the aldehyde compound;

a coenzyme involved in said activity of said protein, wherein the coenzyme is reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, and
an aldehyde compound that serves as a substrate for said activity of said protein,
to thereby synthesize a hydrocarbon with a carbon number one less than that of the aldehyde compound.

2. The method for producing a hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , wherein the protein, the coenzyme, and the aldehyde compound are incubated together by culturing a transformant, into which a gene encoding said protein has been introduced, in a solution containing the aldehyde compound.

3. The method for producing a hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , wherein the protein, the coenzyme, and the aldehyde compound are incubated together by mixing an enzyme liquid, extracted from a transformant into which a gene encoding said protein has been introduced, with a solution containing the aldehyde compound.

4. The method for producing a hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , wherein the protein, the coenzyme, and the aldehyde compound are incubated together by mixing the protein, isolated from a transformant into which a gene encoding said protein has been introduced, with a solution containing the aldehyde compound and the coenzyme.

5. The method for producing a hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , wherein the aldehyde compound is a C 11 -C 21 aldehyde compound.

6. The method for producing a hydrocarbon according to claim 1 , wherein the coenzyme is reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH).

Assignees

• Muramatsu Masayoshi
• Ito Masakazu
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Muramatsu Masayoshi
• Ito Masakazu

Classifications

• C12N9/0008

  acting on the aldehyde or oxo group of donors (1.2) · CPC title

• C12Y601/00

  Ligases forming carbon-oxygen bonds (6.1) · CPC title

• C12N9/93 Primary

  Ligases (6) · CPC title

• C12P5/02 Primary

  acyclic {(C12P5/007 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• C12Y102/01048

  Long-chain-aldehyde dehydrogenase (1.2.1.48) · CPC title