IP Library Granted Patent US 11,339,412
Granted Patent B2
US 11,339,412 · App. 16/862,209 · Granted May 24, 2022

Metabolic engineering for microbial production of terpenoid products

Inventors: Ajikumar Parayil Kumaran (Watertown, MA); Chin-Giaw Lim (Allston, MA); Souvik Ghosh (Walnut Creek, CA); Christopher Pirie (Seattle, WA); Jason Donald (Lexington, MA); Aaron Love (Boston, MA); Hong Nan (Daly City, CA); Hsien-Chung Tseng (Cambridge, MA); Christine Nicole S. Santos (Newton, MA); Ryan Philippe (Somerville, MA)
Assignee: Manus Bio Inc.
C12P5/007C12N9/0006C12N9/0093C12N9/1085C12Y101/01267C12Y117/07001C12Y205/0109C12P7/02C12P7/26C12P7/40C12P17/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,339,412
App. No.
16/862,209
Granted
May 24, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

In various aspects and embodiments, the invention relates to bacterial strains and methods for making terpene and terpenoid products. The invention provides bacterial strains with improved carbon flux through the MEP pathway, to thereby increase terpene and/or terpenoid product yield by fermentation with carbon sources such as glucose.

Claims (23)

1. A bacterial strain comprising:

a recombinant terpenoid synthesis pathway comprising a terpene synthase, the bacterial strain producing isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) through the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, and converting the IPP and DMAPP to a terpene or terpenoid through the recombinant terpenoid synthesis pathway; and

one or more genetic modifications that increase MEP carbon, said genetic modifications comprising

a ryhB deletion or inactivation.

2. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein the strain is a bacterium selected from Escherichia spp., Bacillus spp., Rhodobacter spp., Zymomonas spp., or Pseudomonas spp.

3. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein the strain overexpresses Dxr.

4. The bacterial strain of claim 3 , wherein Dxr is overexpressed by complementation with a recombinant gene or operon comprising dxr.

5. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein the strain overexpresses IspE.

6. The bacterial strain of claim 5 , wherein IspE is overexpressed by complementation with a recombinant gene or operon comprising ispE.

7. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein the strain overexpresses ispG and/or ispH.

8. The bacterial strain of claim 7 , wherein ispG and/or ispH are overexpressed by complementation with a recombinant gene or operon comprising ispG and/or H.

9. The bacterial strain of claim 8 , wherein the strain has a modified IspG enzyme having increased activity with respect to wild type E. coli IspG.

10. The bacterial strain of claim 9 , wherein the IspG enzyme has one, two, three or all of the following mutations: L205V, A210S, G212T, and A213I with respect to SEQ ID NO: 5.

11. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein the bacterial strain has at least one additional copy of dxs and idi expressed as an operon or module.

12. The bacterial strain of claim 11 , wherein the bacterial strain has at least one additional copy of dxs, ispD, ispF, and idi expressed as an operon or module.

13. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , having a modification that decreases expression or activity of IspB.

14. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , having a deletion or inactivation of all or part of the iscR gene, and an inducible or constitutive promoter to drive expression of the genes remaining in the isc operon under conditions used for terpene or terpenoid production.

15. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , wherein MEP enzyme expression or activity is altered or balanced such that 1-deoxy-D-xylulose (DOX) and/or 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol (ME) do not accumulate in the culture above about 2 g/L.

16. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , comprising a mutation in glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (pgi) supporting increased terpenoid titer or MEP carbon.

17. The bacterial strain of claim 15 , wherein the DOX and/or ME do not accumulate above about 1 g/L.

18. The bacterial strain of claim 1 , further comprising an MEP pathway complementation comprising:

a dxr gene; and

ispD, ispE, and/or ispF genes.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Sep 8, 2025
From: MANUS BIO INC.; STO.PERU I LLC; STO.PERU II LLC; MANUS INTERMEDIATE INC.; MANUS INSCRIPTA, INC.
To: SYMBIOTIC CAPITAL AGENCY LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 072836/0255 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2025
From: EICF AGENT LLC
To: MANUS BIO INC.
Reel/Frame 071247/0658 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 23, 2021
From: MANUS BIO INC
To: EICF AGENT LLC
Reel/Frame 057255/0345 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2020
From: KUMARAN, AJIKUMAR PARAYIL; LIM, CHIN-GIAW; GHOSH, SOUVIK; PIRIE, CHRISTOPHER; DONALD, JASON; LOVE, AARON; NAN, HONG; TSENG, HSIEN-CHUNG; SANTOS, CHRISTINE NICOLE S.; PHILIPPE, RYAN
To: MANUS BIO INC.
Reel/Frame 052580/0982 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15888573 · Feb 5, 2018
Provisional Application 62454121 · Feb 3, 2017
Related Publication 20200299735A1 · Sep 24, 2020
Cited By (1)
US 12,480,146