IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,480,112
Granted Patent B2
US 12,480,112 · App. 18/542,109 · Granted Nov 25, 2025

Glutamate decarboxylase mutant with improved pH tolerance and use thereof in synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid

Inventors: Zhiming Rao (Wuxi, CN); Jin Han (Wuxi, CN); Taowei Yang (Wuxi, CN); Meijuan Xu (Wuxi, CN); Xian Zhang (Wuxi, CN)
Assignee: JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY
C12N9/88C12P13/005C12Y401/01015
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,480,112
App. No.
18/542,109
Granted
Nov 25, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention provides a glutamate decarboxylase mutant with improved pH tolerance and use thereof in synthesis of gamma-aminobutyric acid. The mutant is obtained by mutating glutamate decarboxylase having an amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO. 3. The enzyme activity of the mutant at pH 6.5 is improved to 178% of the original enzyme (SEQ ID NO. 3). The final yield of 1000 g of substrate fed in batches in a 5 L tank for 12 h is up to 688.13 g/L, which is about 52% higher than the productivity of the original glutamate decarboxylase. The final molar conversion rate can reach 98.2%. The invention not only broadens the enzyme activity of GAD under the optimum pH, but also broadens the enzyme activity of GAD under the neutral pH, and enhances the capability of the GAD to synthesize gamma-aminobutyric acid, and therefore is more suitable for industrial production.

Claims (14)

1 . A glutamate decarboxylase mutant with a broadened pH range, the decarboxylase mutant having one of the following mutations relative to the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 3:

(1) serine at position 24 mutated to arginine;

(2) serine at position 24 mutated to arginine, and aspartic acid at position 88 mutated to arginine;

(3) serine at position 24 mutated to arginine, and tyrosine at position 309 mutated to lysine; and

(4) serine at position 24 mutated to arginine, aspartic acid at position 88 mutated to arginine, and tyrosine at position 309 mutated to lysine.

2 . A gene encoding the glutamate decarboxylase mutant according to claim 1 .

3 . The gene according to claim 2 , wherein the gene comprises the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 8, the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 10, or the nucleotide sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 12.

4 . A recombinant expression vector carrying the gene according to claim 2 .

5 . The recombinant expression vector according to claim 4 , wherein pET-28a, PMA5, or PXMJ-19 is used as an original expression vector.

6 . A recombinant strain comprising the recombinant expression vector according to claim 4 .

7 . The recombinant strain according to claim 6 , wherein the recombinant strain is Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis , or Corynebacterium glutamicum.

8 . The recombinant strain according to claim 7 , wherein the recombinant strain is Bacillus subtilis 168.

9 . A method for producing gamma-aminobutyric acid, comprising reacting glutamic acid or L-sodium glutamate to produce gamma-aminobutyric acid in the presence of the glutamate decarboxylase mutant according to claim 1 .

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the reacting is at a pH of 6.5.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 15, 2023
From: RAO, ZHIMING; HAN, JIN; YANG, TAOWEI; XU, MEIJUAN; ZHANG, XIAN
To: JIANGNAN UNIVERSITY
Reel/Frame 065888/0204 →
Priority Claims (1)
CN 202210086048.3 · Jan 25, 2022 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTCN2022076360 · Feb 15, 2022
Related Publication 20240110173A1 · Apr 4, 2024
References Cited (11)
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Jiwen, Efficient biosynthesis of γ-aminobutyric acid by rationally engineering the catalytic pH range of a glutamate decarboxylase from Lactobacillus plantarum Chinese J. Biotechnol. 39, 2023, 2108-25. (Year: 2023). [cited by examiner]
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