Abstract: Transgenic microorganisms that produce vanillin when provided with caffeic acid or an esterified or other derivative thereof are disclosed. The organisms are transformed with expressible nucleic acid sequences encoding (1) a 3-0-methyltransferase, preferably from a plant source, which converts caffeic acid to ferulic acid and (2) either a eukaryotic (preferably plant) non-oxidative chain-shortening enzyme or a bacterial CoA ligase and enoyl-CoA hydratase/lyase enzymatic system, either of which converts ferulic acid to vanillin. Methods of making vanillin in the transgenic microorganisms are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for culturing fungal and plant cells in a culture medium containing an elicitor to increase production of a metabolite produced by the cells. For example, tobacco leaves produce the metabolite nicotine and the nicotine is produced in significantly greater amounts when the tobacco is cultured in a elicitor-containing medium. The elicitor is an oxidized Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), or a glycosylated BSA, or an oxidized lysozyme, or glycosylated lysozyme or azetidine-2-carboxylic acid. Further, metabolite production is increased 1000% over the production of the metabolite when an elicitor is not added during the culturing method.

Abstract: The invention provides a process for stimulating the multiplication, differentiation or somatic embryogenesis of higher plant cells in tissue culture by the addition to the culture medium an effective amount of extensin preparation derived from higher plant tissue. Also, provided are tissue cultures which have such stimulating amount of extensin present. Finally, provided by the invention is the sterile extensin preparation which has the stimulating activity, preferably the extensin used being pure or substantially pure.