Polynucleotides encoding isoprenoid modifying enzymes and methods of use thereof

1. An isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an enzyme that modifies an isoprenoid compound, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, wherein the polypeptide exhibits sesquiterpene oxidase activity.

2. The polynucleotide of claim 1 , wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

3. A recombinant vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 .

4. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim 1 .

5. A host cell comprising the recombinant vector of claim 3 .

6. A method of producing an isoprenoid compound in a host cell, the method comprising:

culturing a genetically modified host cell in a suitable medium, wherein said host cell is genetically modified with a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an amorphadiene oxidase, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2, to produce the amorphadiene oxidase,

wherein, in the presence of an amorpha-4,11-diene substrate, said production of said amorphadiene oxidase results in enzymatic modification of the amorpha-4,11-diene substrate and production of the isoprenoid compound, wherein the isoprenoid compound is one or more of artemisinic alcohol, artemisinic aldehyde, and artemisinic acid.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said host cell is a eukaryotic host cell.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said host cell is a yeast cell.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein said host cell is a plant cell.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein said host cell is further genetically modified with a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an amorphadiene synthase, wherein said culturing provides for production of said amorphadiene synthase, wherein said amorphadiene synthase modifies a farnesyl pyrophosphate to generate the amorpha-4,11-diene substrate for said amorphadiene oxidase.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein said host cell is one that does not normally synthesize isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) via a mevalonate pathway, and wherein the host cell is genetically modified with one or more nucleic acids comprising nucleotide sequences encoding two or more enzymes in the mevalonate pathway, an IPP isomerase, a farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) synthase, and an amorphadiene synthase, said culturing providing for production of the mevalonate pathway enzymes, wherein said production of said two or more mevalonate pathway enzymes, said IPP isomerase, said FPP synthase, said amorphadiene synthase, and said amorphadiene oxidase results in production of the isoprenoid compound.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said two or more mevalonate pathway enzymes comprises mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, and mevalonate pyrophosphate decarboxylase, and wherein the host cell is cultured in the presence of mevalonate.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said two or more mevalonate pathway enzymes comprises acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase, hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase, mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, and mevalonate pyrophosphate decarboxylase.

14. The method of claim 6 , wherein said host cell is genetically modified with a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR), wherein said CPR-encoding nucleotide sequence has at least 90% nucleotide sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3.

15. The method of claim 6 , wherein said amorphadiene oxidase-encoding nucleotide sequence is operably linked to an inducible promoter.

16. The method of claim 6 , wherein the host cell is a prokaryotic host cell.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the prokaryotic host cell is Escherichia coli .

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the prokaryotic host cell is one that normally synthesizes IPP through the 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate (DXP) pathway.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the DXP pathway is inactivated.

20. The method of claim 6 , further comprising isolating the isoprenoid compound.

21. The method of claim 6 , wherein the isoprenoid compound is artemisinic acid.

22. The method of claim 21 , further comprising modifying artemisinic acid to generate artemisinin.

23. The method of claim 14 , wherein said CPR-encoding nucleotide sequence has at least 95% nucleotide sequence identity to the nucleotide sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:3.

24. The polynucleotide of claim 1 , wherein the polypeptide exhibits amorpha-4,11-diene oxidase activity.

25. The method of claim 6 , wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

26. An isolated polynucleotide comprising a nucleotide sequence that encodes an enzyme that modifies an isoprenoid compound, wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 90% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2, wherein the polypeptide exhibits amorphadiene oxidase activity.

27. The polynucleotide of claim 26 , wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide having at least about 95% amino acid sequence identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

28. The polynucleotide of claim 26 , wherein the nucleotide sequence encodes a polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO:2.

29. A recombinant vector comprising the polynucleotide of claim 26 .

30. A host cell comprising the polynucleotide of claim 26 .

31. A host cell comprising the recombinant vector of claim 29 .