IP Library Granted Patent US 12692523
Granted Patent B2
US 12692523 · App. 18/307,947 · Granted Jul 28, 2026

Method of producing L-amino acid

Inventors: Seiko Hirano (Kanagawa, JP); Kota Inoue (Kanagawa, JP); Kazuyuki Hayashi (Kanagawa, JP); Kosuke Yokota (Kanagawa, JP); Mika Moriya (Kanagawa, JP); Tomoko Suzuki (Kanagawa, JP); Yoshitomo Kadokura (Kanagawa, JP); Takeshi Nagahiko (Mie, JP); Akari Tashiro (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: AJINOMOTO CO., INC.
C12P13/14C12N9/0006C12N9/0008C12N9/1096C12N9/1217C12N9/16C12N9/88C12N15/77C12R2001/15C12Y101/0104C12Y102/04001C12Y206/01001C12Y207/02001C12Y301/03011C12Y401/02009
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12692523
App. No.
18/307,947
Granted
Jul 28, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method of producing an L-amino acid such as L-glutamic acid and the like. An L-amino-acid is produced by cultivating a coryneform bacterium having L-amino acid-producing ability in a culture medium, which has been modified so as to have one or more of the following modifications: (A) a modification for increasing activity of acetate kinase, (B) a modification for increasing activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, (C) a modification for decreasing activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase, (D) a modification for decreasing activity of aspartate transaminase, and (E) a modification for decreasing activity of malic enzyme; and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture medium and/or the bacterial cells.

Claims (23)

1 . A method of producing an L-amino acid, comprising:

cultivating a coryneform bacterium having L-amino acid-producing ability in a culture medium to accumulate an L-amino acid in the culture medium and/or in cells of the bacterium; and

collecting the L-amino acid from the culture medium and/or the cells;

wherein the L-amino acid is L-glutamic acid family, and

wherein the bacterium has a modification for increasing activity of acetate kinase, and optionally an additional a modification for increasing activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, combinations thereof;

wherein expression of the gene encoding acetate kinase is increased by increasing the copy number of the gene and/or by modifying an expression regulatory sequence of the gene;

wherein the acetate kinase is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or 10,

(ii) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or 10 except that said amino acid sequence includes substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of 1 to 10 amino acid residues, and has acetate kinase activity, and

(iii) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 8 or 10, and has acetate kinase activity;

wherein the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 or 14,

(ii) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 or 14 except that said amino acid sequence includes substitution, deletion, insertion, and/or addition of 1 to 10 amino acid residues, and has fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity, and

(iii) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence having 90% or more identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 12 or 14, and has fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase activity;

wherein the bacterium has been further modified so that the activity of phosphoketolase is increased as compared to an unmodified bacterium; and

wherein the bacterium is of the genus Corynebacterium.

2 . The method according to claim 1 ,

wherein the activity of the acetate kinase is increased by increasing expression of a gene encoding acetate kinase, and

wherein the activity of the fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is increased by increasing expression of a gene encoding fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein expression of the gene encoding fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is increased by increasing the copy number of the gene and/or by modifying an expression regulatory sequence of the gene.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the phosphoketolase is D-xylulose-5-phosphate phosphoketolase and/or fructose 6-phosphate phosphoketolase.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is Corynebacterium glutamicum.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the L-glutamic acid is ammonium L-glutamate or sodium L-glutamate.