Abstract: Recombinant microbial cells and methods for producing 5-hydroxytryptophan (5HTP) using such cells are described. More specifically, the recombinant microbial cell comprises an exogenous gene encoding an L-tryptophan hydroxylase, and means for providing tetrahydrobiopterin (THB). Related sequences and vectors for use in preparing such recombinant microbial cells are also described.

Abstract: Recombinant microbial cells and methods for producing melatonin and related compounds using such cells are described. More specifically, the recombinant microbial cell may comprise exogenous genes encoding one or more of an L-tryptophan hydroxylase, a 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan decarboxylyase, a serotonin acetyltransferase, an acetylserotonin O-methyltransferase; an L-tryptophan decarboxy-lyase, and a tryptamine-5-hydroxylase, and means for providing tetrahydrobiopterin (THB). Related sequences and vectors for use in preparing such recombinant microbial cells are also described.

Abstract: A recombinant micro-organism producing resveratrol by a pathway in which phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) produces trans-cinnamic acid from phenylalanine, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) produces 4-coumaric acid from said trans-cinnamic acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA, or in which L-phenylalanine- or tyrosine-ammonia lyase (PAL/TAL) produces 4-coumaric acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA. The micro-organism may be a yeast, fungus or bacterium including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, E. coli, Lactococcus lactis, Aspergillus niger, or Aspergillus oryzae.

Abstract: A genetically engineered micro-organism having an operative metabolic pathway producing cinnamoyl-CoA and producing pinosylvin therefrom by the action of a stilbene synthase is used for pinosylvin production. Said cinnamic acid may be formed from L-phenylalanine by a L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) which is one accepting phenylalanine as a substrate and producing cinammic acid therefrom, preferably such that if the PAL also accepts tyrosine as a substrate and forms coumaric acid therefrom, the ratio Km(phenylalanine)/Km(tyrosine) for said PAL is less than 1:1 and if said micro-organism produces a cinammate-4-hydroxylase enzyme (C4H), the ratio Kcat(PAL)/Kcat(C4H) is at least 2:1.

Abstract: A cis- or trans-stilbenoid of the general formula (1): in which each of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 is hydrogen or hydroxy, or a glycosylated or oligomeric form thereof, is produced by cultivating a micro-organism producing said stilbenoid, in a multi-phase system comprising at least an aqueous first phase containing said micro-organism and a second phase immiscible with said aqueous phase in which (e.g. as which) said stilbenoid accumulates. The second phase may be said stilbenoid or a free or encapsulated solvent compatible with the growth of the micro-organism, for instance an ester.

Abstract: A recombinant micro-organism such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae which produces and excretes into culture medium a stilbenoid metabolite product when grown under stilbenoid production conditions, which expresses in above native levels a ABC transporter which transports said stilbenoid out of said micro-organism cells to the culture medium. The genome of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae produces an auxotrophic phenotype which is compensated by a plasmid which also expresses one or more of said enzymes constituting said metabolic pathway producing said stilbenoid, an expression product of the plasmid is genetically modified to include a ubiquitination tag sequence. Expression of an enzyme participating in catabolism of phenylalanine by the Ehrlich pathway is optionally reduced compared to its native expression level.

Abstract: A pressure measuring cell for detecting the pressure prevailing in an adjoining medium, comprising an elastic membrane on which a first electromechanical transducer is arranged, which supplies a first pressure-dependent output signal is provided. According to the invention, a second electromechanical transducer, which supplies a second pressure-dependent output signal, is arranged on the membrane wherein the two transducers are arranged such that with an elastically reversible deformation of the membrane the output signals have a first pressure characteristic, and after an irreversible deformation of the membrane due to an increased pressure load same have a significantly different second pressure characteristic.

Abstract: A genetically engineered micro-organism having an operative metabolic pathway producing cinnamoyl-CoA and producing pinosylvin therefrom by the action of a stilbene synthase is used for pinosylvin production. Said cinnamic acid may be formed from L-phenylalanine by a L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) which is one accepting phenylalanine as a substrate and producing cinammic acid therefrom, preferably such that if the PAL also accepts tyrosine as a substrate and forms coumaric acid therefrom, the ratio Km(phenylalanine)/Km(tyrosine) for said PAL is less than 1:1 and if said micro-organism produces a cinammate-4-hydroxylase enzyme (C4H), the ratio Kcat(PAL)/Kcat(C4H) is at least 2:1.

Abstract: The invention provides an in silico model for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function. The model includes a data structure relating a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactants to a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a S. cerevisiae physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico S. cerevisiae model and methods for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function using a model of the invention.

Abstract: A cis- or trans-stilbenoid of the general formula (1) in which each of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 is hydrogen or hydroxy, or a glycosylated or oligomeric form thereof, such as resveratrol or pinosylvin is produced by cultivating a microorganism such as a genetically engineered yeast to produce said stilbenoid in a culture medium in solid form, and is separated by filtration or settling.

Abstract: The invention provides an in silico model for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function. The model includes a data structure relating a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactants to a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a S. cerevisiae physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico S. cerevisiae model and methods for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function using a model of the invention.

Abstract: A cis- or trans-stilbenoid of the general formula (1): in which each of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 is hydrogen or hydroxy, or a glycosylated or oligomeric form thereof, is produced by cultivating a micro-organism producing said stilbenoid, in a multi-phase system comprising at least an aqueous first phase containing said micro-organism and a second phase immiscible with said aqueous phase in which (e.g. as which) said stilbenoid accumulates. The second phase may be said stilbenoid or a free or encapsulated solvent compatible with the growth of the micro-organism, for instance an ester.

Abstract: The invention provides an in silico model for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function. The model includes a data structure relating a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactants to a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a S. cerevisiae physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico S. cerevisiae model and methods for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function using a model of the invention.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the construction and engineering of cells, more particularly microorganisms for producing PUFAs with four or more double bonds from non-fatty acid substrates through heterologous expression of an oxygen requiring pathway. The invention especially involves improvement of the PUFA content in the host organism through fermentation optimization, e.g. decreasing the temperature and/or designing an optimal medium, or through improving the flux towards fatty acids by metabolic engineering, e.g. through over-expression of fatty acid synthases, over-expression of other enzymes involved in biosynthesis of the precursors for PUFAs, or codon optimization of the heterologous genes, or expression of heterologous enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the precursor for PUFAs.

Abstract: A genetically engineered micro-organism having an operative metabolic pathway producing cinnamoyl-CoA and producing pinosylvin therefrom by the action of a stilbene synthase is used for pinosylvin production. Said cinnamic acid may be formed from L-phenylalanine by a L-phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) which is one accepting phenylalanine as a substrate and producing cinammic acid therefrom, preferably such that if the PAL also accepts tyrosine as a substrate and forms coumaric acid therefrom, the ratio Km(phenylalanine)/Km(tyrosine) for said PAL is less than 1:1 and if said micro-organism produces a cinammate-4-hydroxylase enzyme (C4H), the ratio Kcat(PAL)/Kcat(C4H) is at least 2:1.

Abstract: A recombinant micro-organism producing resveratrol by a pathway in which phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) produces trans-cinnamic acid from phenylalanine, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) produces 4-coumaric acid from said trans-cinnamic acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA, or in which L-phenylalanine- or tyrosine-ammonia lyase (PAL/TAL) produces 4-coumaric acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA. The micro-organism may be a yeast, fungus or bacterium including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, E. coli, Lactococcus lactis, Aspergillus niger, or Aspergillus oryzae.

Abstract: A recombinant micro-organism producing resveratrol by a pathway in which phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) produces trans-cinnamic acid from phenylalanine, cinnamate 4-hydroxylase (C4H) produces 4-coumaric acid from said trans-cinnamic acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA, or in which L-phenylalanine- or tyrosine-ammonia lyase (PAL/TAL) produces 4-coumaric acid, 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL) produces 4-coumaroyl CoA from said 4-coumaric acid, and resveratrol synthase (VST) produces said resveratrol from said 4-coumaroyl CoA. The micro-organism may be a yeast, fungus or bacterium including Saccharomyces cerevisiae, E. coli, Lactococcus lactis, Aspergillus niger, or Aspergillus oryzae.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the construction and engineering of cells, more particularly microorganisms for producing PUFAs with four or more double bonds from non-fatty acid substrates through heterologous expression of an oxygen requiring pathway. The invention especially involves improvement of the PUFA content in the host organism through fermentation optimization, e.g. decreasing the temperature and/or designing an optimal medium, or through improving the flux towards fatty acids by metabolic engineering, e.g. through over-expression of fatty acid synthases, over-expression of other enzymes involved in biosynthesis of the precursors for PUFAs, or codon optimization of the heterologous genes, or expression of heterologous enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of the precursor for PUFAs.

Abstract: The invention provides an in silico model for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function. The model includes a data structure relating a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactants to a plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, a constraint set for the plurality of S. cerevisiae reactions, and commands for determining a distribution of flux through the reactions that is predictive of a S. cerevisiae physiological function. A model of the invention can further include a gene database containing information characterizing the associated gene or genes. The invention further provides methods for making an in silico S. cerevisiae model and methods for determining a S. cerevisiae physiological function using a model of the invention.