Process for the preparation of L-amino acids

1. A process for the preparation of L-amino acids, which comprises:

a) fermenting coryneform bacteria to produce a desired L-amino acid, said coryneform bacteria comprising an expression vector comprising an inducible promoter operably linked to a coding sequence which encodes a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2;

b) concentrating the desired L-amino acid in a medium or in the cells of the coryneform, bacteria; and

c) isolating the desired L-amino acid.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein said desired L-amino acid is L-lysine, and wherein said coryneform bacteria further comprises an expression vector comprising a coding sequence which encodes one or more C. glutamicum proteins selected from the group consisting of:

dihydrodipicolinate synthase, encoded by the dapA gene;

a feedback resistant aspartate kinase, encoded by the lysC gene;

glycerolaldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, encoded by the gap gene;

pyruvate carboxylase, encoded by the pyc gene;

malate-quinone oxidoreductase, encoded by the mqo gene;

transketolase, encoded by the tkt gene;

6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, encoded by the gnd gene;

glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, encoded by the zwf gene;

LysE polypeptide, encoded by the lysE gene;

Zwa1 polypeptide, encoded by the zwa1 gene;

enolase, encoded by the eno gene; and

OpcA polypeptide, encoded by the opcA gene.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the coryneform bacteria produce one or more desired L-amino acids selected from the group consisting of L-lysine, L-threonine, L-isoleucine and L-tryptophan.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the L-amino acid is L-threonine, and wherein said coryneform bacteria further comprises an expression vector comprising a coding sequence for which encodes one or more C. glutamicum proteins selected from the group consisting of:

glycerolaldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, encoded by the gap gene;

pyruvate carboxylase, encoded by the pyc gene;

malate-quinone oxidoreductase, encoded by the mqo gene;

transketolase, encoded by the tkt gene;

6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, encoded by the gnd gene;

glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, encoded by the zwf gene;

ThrE polypeptide, encoded by the thrE gene;

Zwa1 polypeptide, encoded by the zwa1 gene;

enolase, encoded by the eno gene; and

OpcA polypeptide, encoded by the opcA gene.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein said coding sequence comprises the coding sequence of nucleotides 2471 to 3550 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the number of copies of the coding sequence of nucleotides 2471 to 3550 of SEQ ID NO: 1 in the coryneform bacteria is increased relative to the number of copies that is normally present in wild-type bacteria of the same species.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein said coding sequence is present in a plasmid in the coryneform bacteria.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein said coding sequence is integrated into the chromosome of the coryneform bacteria.

9. The process of claim 1 , additionally wherein one or more nucleotide sequences encoding one or more enzymes of a biosynthetic pathway of the desired L-amino acids is overexpressed in the coryneform bacteria, wherein said overexpression is achieved by using an overexpression plasmid vector.

10. The process of claim 1 , additionally wherein one or more genes selected from the group consisting of a pck gene which encodes phosphoenol pyruvate carboxykinase, a pgi gene which encodes glucose 6-phosphate isomerase, a poxB gene which encodes pyruvate oxidase, and a zwa2 gene which encodes Zwa2 polypeptide is or are eliminated in the coryneform bacteria.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coryneform bacteria produces one or more desired L-amino acids selected from the group consisting of L-lysine, L-threonine, L-isoleucine and L-tryptophan.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the coryneform bacteria are of the genus Corynebacterium.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein the coryneform bacteria are of the species Corynebacterium glutamicum.