Methods of producing protoporphyrin IX and bacterial mutants therefor

US9273334B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma · US

Inventors

• Jizhong Zhou · Oak Ridge, US
• Dongru Qiu · Hubei, CN
• Zhili He · Nanjing, CN
• Ming-Hong Xie · Norman, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 14, 2014
• Grant date: Mar 1, 2016
• Expiry date: Mar 14, 2034

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C12Y499/01001
• WIPO field: Biotechnology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The presently disclosed inventive concepts are directed in certain embodiments to a method of producing protoporphyrin IX by (1) cultivating a strain of Shewanella bacteria in a culture medium under conditions suitable for growth thereof, and (2) recovering the protoporphyrin IX from the culture medium. The strain of Shewanella bacteria comprises at least one mutant hemH gene which is incapable of normal expression, thereby causing an accumulation of protoporphyrin IX. In certain embodiments of the method, the strain of Shewanella bacteria is a strain of S. loihica, and more specifically may be S. loihica PV-4. In certain embodiments, the mutant hemH gene of the strain of Shewanella bacteria may be a mutant of shew_2229 and/or of shew_1140. In other embodiments, the presently disclosed inventive concepts are directed to mutant strains of Shewanella bacteria having at least one mutant hemH gene which is incapable of normal expression, thereby causing an accumulation of protoporphyrin IX during cultivation of the bacteria. In certain embodiments the strain of Shewanella bacteria is a strain of S. loihica, and more specifically may be S. loihica PV-4. In certain embodiments, the mutan…