Process for producing cytidine 5'-diphosphate choline
The present invention relates to a process for producing CDP-choline, which comprises contacting a biocatalyst having the activity to form CDP-choline from choline or phosphorylcholine, or a salt thereof, and uracil with choline or phosphorylcholine, or a salt thereof, and uracil in an aqueous medium, allowing CDP-choline to form and accumulate in the aqueous medium, and recovering CDP-choline from the aqueous medium.
1 . A process for producing CDP-choline, which comprises contacting a biocatalyst having the activity to form CDP-choline from choline or phosphorylcholine, or a salt thereof, and uracil with choline or phosphorylcholine, or a salt thereof, and uracil in an aqueous medium; allowing CDP-choline to form and accumulate in the aqueous medium; and recovering CDP-choline from the aqueous medium.
2 . The process according to claim 1 , wherein the biocatalyst comprises cells selected from the group consisting of microorganisms, animal cells, plant cells and insect cells, a culture of the cells or a treated matter of the cells.
3 . The process according to claim 2 , wherein the cells are microorganisms belonging to one or more genera selected from the group consisting of the genera Escherichia, Serratia, Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus, Sinorhizobium, Haemophilus, Arthrobacter, Aureobacterium, Brevibacterium, Cellulomonas, Clavibacter, Corynebacterium, Curtobacterium, Microbacterium, Pimerobacter, Saccharomyces, Schizosaccharomyces, Kluyveromyces, Trichosporon, Schwanniomyces, Pichia and Candida.
4 . The process according to claim 2 , wherein the cells are microorganisms belonging to one or more genera selected from the group consisting of the genera Escherichia, Bacillus, Corynebacterium, Brevibacterium and Saccharomyces.
5 . The process according to claim 2 , wherein the cells are microorganisms belonging to the genera Corynebacterium and Escherichia.
6 . The process according to Claim 3 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium is Corynebacterium ammoniagenes.
7 . The process according to claim 3 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia is Escherichia coli.
8 . The process according to claim 2 , wherein the cells are transformant obtainable by introducing DNA encoding cytidine 5′-triphosphate synthetase having the activity to form cytidine 5′-triphosphate from uridine 5′-triphosphate, DNA encoding choline kinase having the activity to form phosphorylcholine from choline, or DNA encoding cholinephosphate cytidyltransferase having the activity to form CDP-choline from cytidine 5′-triphosphate and phosphorylcholine.
9 . The process according to claim 4 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium is Corynebacterium ammoniagenes.
10 . The process according to claim 4 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia is Escherichia coli.
11 . The process according to claim 5 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium is Corynebacterium ammoniagenes.
12 . The process according to claim 5 , wherein the microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia is Escherichia coli.