IP Library Granted Patent US 9,453,230
Granted Patent B2
US 9,453,230 · App. 13/398,526 · Granted Sep 27, 2016

Biosynthesis of human milk oligosaccharides in engineered bacteria

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,453,230
App. No.
13/398,526
Granted
Sep 27, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention provides compositions and methods for engineering bacteria to produce fucosylated oligosaccharides, and the use thereof in the prevention or treatment of infection.

Claims (46)

1. A method for producing a fucosylated oligosaccharide in a bacterium, comprising

providing an E. coli bacterium, said bacterium comprising a deletion or functional inactivation of the endogenous β-galactosidase gene; a functional promoter-less β-galactosidase gene inserted into an endogenous gene such that the resultant bacterium comprises a low level of β-galactosidase activity, wherein said β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 200 units; an exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprising an α(1,2) fucosyltransferase gene, an α(1,3) fucosyltransferase gene, or an α(1,4) fucosyltransferase gene; an inactivating mutation in a colanic acid synthesis gene; and a functional lactose permease gene, wherein said lactose permease gene comprises E. coli lacY;

culturing said bacterium in the presence of lactose; and

retrieving a fucosylated oligosaccharide from said bacterium or from a culture supernatant of said bacterium.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the functional promoter-less β-galactosidase gene inserted into an endogenous gene comprises an exogenous wild type E. coli lacZ gene.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said colanic acid synthesis gene comprises a wcaJ, wzxC, wcaD, wza, wzb, or wzc gene.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an inactivating mutation in a lon gene.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium comprises a functional promoter-less wild-type E. coli lacZ + gene inserted into an endogenous lon gene.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an exogenous E. coli rcsA or E. coli rcsB gene.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an inactivating mutation in a lacA gene.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium accumulates an increased intracellular lactose pool, wherein the increased intracellular lactose pool is at least 10% more than the levels in a wild type bacterium.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprises a Bacteroides fragilis wcfW gene.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprises a Helicobacter pylori 26695 futA gene.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bacterium comprises both an exogenous fucosyltransferase gene encoding α(1,2) fucosyltransferase and an exogenous fucosyltransferase gene encoding α(1,3) fucosyltransferase.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein said lactose permease gene is an endogenous lactose permease gene.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein said colanic acid synthesis gene is an endogenous colanic acid synthesis gene.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein said endogenous β-galactosidase gene is deleted or functionally inactivated and the downstream endogenous lacY remains intact.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein said lactose permease gene is an exogenous lactose permease gene.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 5 units.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 4 units.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 3 units.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 2 units.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein said fucosylated oligosaccharide is 2′-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, or lactodifucotetraose.

21. A method for producing a fucosylated oligosaccharide in a bacterium, comprising

providing an E. coli bacterium, said bacterium comprising a deletion or functional inactivation of the endogenous β-galactosidase gene; a functional exogenous wild type β-galactosidase gene inserted into an endogenous gene such that the resultant bacterium comprises a low level of β-galactosidase activity, wherein said β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 200 units; an exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprising an α(1,2) fucosyltransferase gene, an α(1,3) fucosyltransferase gene, or an α(1,4) fucosyltransferase gene; an inactivating mutation in an endogenous colanic acid synthesis gene, wherein said colanic acid synthesis gene comprises an E. coli wcaJ, wzxC, wcaD, wza, wzb, or wzc gene; and a functional lactose permease gene, wherein said lactose permease gene comprises E. coli lacY;

culturing said bacterium in the presence of lactose; and

retrieving a fucosylated oligosaccharide from said bacterium or from a culture supernatant of said bacterium.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein said β-galactosidase gene inserted into an endogenous gene comprises an E. coli lacZ gene.

23. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an inactivating mutation in a lon gene.

24. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium comprises a functional, wild-type, promoter-less E. coli lacZ + gene inserted into an endogenous lon gene.

25. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an exogenous E. coli rcsA or E. coli rcsB gene.

26. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium further comprises an inactivating mutation in a lacA gene.

27. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium accumulates an increased intracellular lactose pool, wherein said increased intracellular lactose pool is at least 10% more than the levels in a wild type bacterium.

28. The method of claim 21 , wherein said exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprises a Bacteroides fragilis wcfW gene.

29. The method of claim 21 , wherein said exogenous lactose-accepting fucosyltransferase gene comprises a Helicobacter pylori 26695 futA gene.

30. The method of claim 21 , wherein said bacterium comprises both an exogenous fucosyltransferase gene encoding α(1,2) fucosyltransferase and an exogenous fucosyltransferase gene encoding α(1,3) fucosyltransferase.

31. The method of claim 21 , wherein said lactose permease gene is an endogenous lactose permease gene.

32. The method of claim 21 , wherein said lactose permease gene is an exogenous lactose permease gene.

33. The method of claim 21 , wherein said endogenous β-galactosidase gene is deleted and the endogenous lacY remains intact.

34. The method of claim 21 , wherein said fucosylated oligosaccharide is 2′-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, or lactodifucotetraose.

35. The method of claim 21 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 5 units.

36. The method of claim 21 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 4 units.

37. The method of claim 21 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 3 units.

38. The method of claim 21 , wherein said low level of β-galactosidase activity comprises between 0.05 and 2 units.

39. The method of claim 11 or 21 , wherein said bacteria comprises the genotype of ampC::(P trpB λcI + ), P lacI q(ΔlacI-lacZ) 158 lacY + , ΔwcaJ, thyA 748 ::Tn10, Δlon::(kan, lacZ + ).

40. The method of claim 11 or 21 , wherein said bacteria comprises the genotype of ampC::(P trpB λcI + ), P lacI q(ΔlacI-lacZ) 158 lacY +, ΔwcaJ, thyA 748 ::Tn10, Δlon::(kan, lacZ + ), ΔlacA.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 6, 2025
From: MINTZ LEVIN COHN FERRIS GLOVSKY AND POPEO, P.C.
To: GLYCOSYN, LLC
Reel/Frame 071338/0562 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2022
From: GLYCOSYN LLC; GLYCOSYN, INC.
To: GINKGO BIOWORKS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060052/0477 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2021
From: GLYCOSYN LLC
To: MINTZ, LEVIN, COHN, FERRIS, GLOVSKY AND POPEO, P.C.
Reel/Frame 055148/0944 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 26, 2012
From: MERIGHI, MASSIMO; MCCOY, JOHN M.; HEIDTMAN, MATTHEW IAN
To: GLYCOSYN LLC
Reel/Frame 027928/0148 →